When Tehran-born writer-director Noora Niasari told producer Vincent Sheehan about the time she spent living in a women's shelter during her childhood, on which her film 'Shayda' was to be based, he realised he was being told a "distinctly Australian" story, but one he had never seen on the screen before.
Noora Niasari talks to IF about the making of her debut feature, the Sundance Audience Award-winning 'Shayda', which is screening in competition at MIFF and will close Locarno later this month.
Noora Niasari’s 'Shayda' follows a young Iranian mother (Amir-Ebrahimi) who finds refuge with her six-year-old daughter Mona (Selina Zahednia) in an Australian women’s shelter during the two weeks of Iranian New Year (Nowrooz) in 1995.
Writer-director Noora Niasari's 'Shayda' has been hailed by reviewers at the Sundance Film Festival as a powerful, gripping and affecting debut.
Newcomer Aswan Reid will make his screen debut alongside Cate Blanchett, Deborah Mailman and Wayne Blair in Warwick Thornton's 'The New Boy', which wraps this week in South Australia.
Mojean Aria recently returned to Australia to star in Noora Niasari’s debut feature, 'Shayda', acting alongside recent Cannes best actress winner Zar Amir-Ebrahimi. He'll also be seen soon in the Richard Hughes-directed 'The Enforcer', alongside Antonio Banderas, and 'The Last Manhunt' with his 'See' co-star, Jason Momoa.