Shayda

Niasari, who writes and produces as well as directing, racks up the tension ... in this sure-footed debut feature.

The assured directorial debut of Noora Niasari, Shayda captures the claustrophobic tension and sickening dread of a wife trying and failing to evade the reach of a violent, angry man.

This debut fiction feature from the Australian-Iranian documentary director Noora Niasari proves a worthy vehicle for the incendiary talents of Zar Amir Ebrahimi.

Niasari delivers an engaging and deeply moving account of female empowerment in a film that is careful to never over-egg the symbolism, choosing pragmatism and authenticity instead.

While the themes covered aren't uncommon to see in films nowadays, it is the director's personal experience that ultimately allows for a thoughtful impact on audiences long past the final scene.

It’s an understated performance in many ways, but in those quiet moments, whether it be a new haircut or a tapping foot, Ebrahimi provides an astonishing education of what it means to be a woman fleeing an abusive relationship.

Noora Niasari drew on her own childhood when writing her debut feature, Shayda, and her understated film has that quality that autobiographical films need in order to shine: specificity.

A quiet, thoughtful feature, it handles such difficult themes with delicacy and confidence, and our mum and child leads are terrific together.

Niasari has made a deeply personal film that remarkably captures its protagonist’s harrowing journey and pays tribute to all victims of abuse who are able to take a daring stand.

Shayda, the heartfelt first feature directed by Noora Niasari, is a compelling story of an Iranian woman fleeing domestic abuse to seek cultural freedom.