This review was published during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes of 2023. Shayda would not exist without the labour of its writers, director, actors, and the many departments integral to the filmmaking process. Learn more about the demands of actors and writers here.
Last year, I started my TIFF experience with Holy Spider, the intense, dramatic retelling of a true story about a serial killer in Iran. Holy Spider starred Zar Amir Ebrahimi as a passionate reporter out to find the truth and to stand for the women victim to this madman and the systemic oppression that paid no heed to the reality. To say that was an emotionally taxing start to a 10-day film festival would be an understatement. It’s one year later, and I am back on my usual BS, starting my 2023 TIFF experience with another emotionally challenging film headlined by once again the incredible Ebrahimi.
Shayda follows the story of an Iranian woman in Australia seeking a divorce from her abusive husband and the father of her daughter Mona (Selina Zahednia). We meet Shayda as she and her caseworker, Joyce (Leah Purcell), try to teach Mona what places and individuals to look out for in the event that her father attempts to smuggle her out of Australia and back to Iran, where Shayda would most certainly lose custody of her daughter. Writer, director and producer Noora Niasari pulls on the audience’s heartstrings with a harrowing and tragically familiar reality that millions of women face all around the world.
Ebrahimi’s performance takes us on a journey as Shayda begins to find herself again. She is stuck in a somewhat stagnant state, waiting for the legal process to reach the same conclusion that she has: her husband is not a fit father or husband. Timid and frightful is the start of her journey to healing and self-actualization. Her fears and anxieties are exasperated by her husband, unwilling to take accountability. Yet, Shayda slowly but surely begins to persevere as she finds solidarity with Joyce and the women at the shelter, a potential new romantic suitor, and her inner strength is magnified by her love for her daughter. A role like Shayda requires an actress who can portray the complex emotions of a woman in distress with her eyes and body; little dialogue is necessary to convey the many years of horror Shayda had endured. Ebrahimi is utterly breathtaking as she trades the ferocity she displayed in Holy Spider with the quiet dignity of a woman in dire circumstances in Shayda.
Niasari’s directing is the furthest thing from sensationalized or overly dramatic. The eerie mundanity of these women’s situation is captured with a preciseness that cuts straight to the heart. The most straightforward act of kindness Shayda shows a fellow survivor at the women’s shelter has the power to break the dam of tears. The Tehran-born filmmaker adds a layer of emotional nuance and care to her story with the inclusion of Shayda’s cultural expression. As Shayda gently encourages her daughter to embrace the customs and traditions of the Iranian people, an approach that is drastically different from her husband’s oppressive interpretation of their culture and religion.
The sensitivity and rays of hope Niasari imbues in her story come from an honest place and reflect the layered experience Shayda and women like her go through. In times of darkness, the small moments of embracing happiness can make a world of a difference. Whether it is baking some sweets or cutting ones hair to bolster self-confidence, every waking moment is not drenched in terror.
Niasari moves confidently with her directorial debut. Her assured handling of the subject matter is persuasive and moving. There is not an ounce of inauthenticity, which is later proved by the post-credit footage of her mother, the inspiration for this story.
Artists of various mediums are often told to pull from their own experiences to enrich their storytelling, and here, that practice works in Niasari’s favour as it allows her to delve into a perspective shared by so many. Shayda is an incredibly impactful piece of art for how personal and relevant it is.
Shayda was submitted for the Best International Feature category for the 2024 Academy Awards, it won an audience award at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, and has garnered attention form various festivals these past few months. It looks like Ebrahimi and Niasari will be rightfully recognized on the world stage for Shayda. Ebrahimi will have a spotlight on her many years of tremendous work, and Niasari will be stepping into her own with Shayda setting her up for a bright future as a writer and director. Hopefully the success of this film will bring these two together again as Shayda proves they make a strong duo.
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