The Persian Version

Last updated

The Persian Version
Persian version poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Maryam Keshavarz
Written byMaryam Keshavarz
Produced by
  • Anne Carey
  • Ben Howe
  • Luca Borghese
  • Maryam Keshavarz
  • Peter Block
  • Cory Neal
Starring
CinematographyAndré Jäger
Edited by
  • Abolfazl Talooni
  • JoAnne Yarrow
Music by Rostam Batmanglij
Production
companies
  • Marakesh Films
  • Archer Gray
  • AgX
  • A Bigger Boat
Distributed by
Release dates
  • January 21, 2023 (2023-01-21)(Sundance)
  • October 20, 2023 (2023-10-20)(United States)
Running time
107 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
Languages
Box office$559,820 [2]

The Persian Version is a 2023 American comedy drama film directed and written by Maryam Keshavarz. The film stars Layla Mohammadi, Niousha Noor, Bijan Daneshmand, Bella Warda, and Tom Byrne. It follows the struggles of a young Iranian-American woman who is often at odds with her family, particularly with her mother.

Contents

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023, where it won two awards, including the Audience Award for the U.S. Dramatic Competition. It had a limited theatrical release in the United States by Sony Pictures Classics and Stage 6 Films on October 20, 2023. It received positive reviews from critics and was named one of the top 10 independent films of 2023 by the National Board of Review. [3]

Plot

A young Iranian-American filmmaker named Leila has a one-night stand with Maximillian, an actor who is appearing on stage in the title role of Hedwig and the Angry Inch . She subsequently finds out that she's pregnant.

Leila's father Ali Reza has a serious medical condition that requires him to undergo a heart transplant operation. This crisis prompts a reunion of Leila's large family (she has eight brothers).

Leila clashes with her mother Shireen and spends time with her grandmother. In an extended flashback set in Iran, Shireen gets married at a young age to Ali Reza.

Cast

Production

Release

The Persian Version had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023. It received a standing ovation from the audience. [4] Shortly after, Sony Pictures Classics acquired distribution rights to the film. [5]

The film was for a limited theatrical release in the United States on October 20, 2023. [6] It was previously set for October 13, [7] before being moved a week later to avoid competition with the concert film Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour . [6] It is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom on February 2, 2024. [1]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 75 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "A vibrant portrait of culture clashes and generation gaps, The Persian Version gains added resonance through its spirited specificity." [8] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [9]

Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com called the film "an ebullient rule-breaker" and said it was "one of the most entertaining and moving experiences I've had at Sundance this year." [10]

Accolades

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef.
Sundance Film Festival January 27, 2023 Grand Jury Prize - U.S. Dramatic CompetitionThe Persian VersionNominated [11] [12] [13]
Audience Award - U.S. Dramatic CompetitionWon
Waldo Salt Screenwriting AwardMaryam KeshavarzWon
Calgary International Film Festival October 3, 2023 Audience Choice Award, International Narrative FeatureThe Persian VersionWon [14]
Astra Film Awards January 6, 2024 Best International ActressLayla MohammadiNominated [15]

Related Research Articles

Sony Pictures Classics Inc. is an American film production and distribution company that is a division of Sony Pictures. It was founded in 1992 by former Orion Classics heads Michael Barker, Tom Bernard and Marcie Bloom. It distributes, produces and acquires specialty films such as documentaries, independent and arthouse films in the United States and internationally. As of 2015, Barker and Bernard are co-presidents of the division, which is a member of the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

Maryam Keshavarz, is an American filmmaker, of Iranian descent. She is best known for her 2011 film Circumstance distributed by Participant Media and Roadside Attractions, which won the Audience Award at Sundance Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bijan Daneshmand</span> Iranian born-English actor

Bijan Daneshmand is an Iranian born-English actor and artist based in London, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stage 6 Films</span> American film producer

Stage 6 Films, Inc. is an American film production label of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions that acquires and produces feature films that are low budget and that are being released direct-to-disc, on demand, or through streaming services. Some of their films are also being released theatrically. Once a film is finished, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions will decide if the film will be released theatrically or on a different platform.

<i>Circumstance</i> (2011 film) 2011 film

Circumstance is a 2011 French-Iranian-American dramatic film written and directed by Maryam Keshavarz starring Nikohl Boosheri, Sarah Kazemy, Reza Sixo Safai and Keon Alexander. It explores homosexuality in modern Iran, among other subjects.

<i>Lambert & Stamp</i> 2014 American film

Lambert & Stamp is a 2014 American documentary film, produced and directed by James D. Cooper. The film had its world premiere at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2014.

<i>The Bronze</i> (film) 2015 American film

The Bronze is a 2015 American sports comedy-drama film directed by Bryan Buckley and written by Melissa Rauch and Winston Rauch. It was produced by Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass through their Duplass Brothers Productions banner. The film stars Rauch, Gary Cole, Thomas Middleditch, Sebastian Stan, Cecily Strong, Haley Lu Richardson and Dale Raoul. It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2015, and was theatrically released on March 18, 2016, by Sony Pictures Classics.

<i>Under the Shadow</i> 2016 film

Under the Shadow is a 2016 Persian-language psychological horror film written and directed by Iranian-born Babak Anvari as his directorial debut. A mother and daughter are haunted by a mysterious evil in 1980s Tehran, during the War of the Cities. The film stars Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi, Ray Haratian, and Arash Marandi.

<i>David Crosby: Remember My Name</i> 2019 documentary film

David Crosby: Remember My Name is a 2019 documentary about the musician David Crosby. It was directed by A.J. Eaton and produced by Cameron Crowe. The title is a play on the title of Crosby's 1971 album If I Could Only Remember My Name.

<i>I Carry You with Me</i> 2020 American-Mexican drama film

I Carry You with Me (Te Llevo Conmigo) is a 2020 Spanish-language drama film directed by Heidi Ewing, from a screenplay by Ewing and Alan Page Arriaga. It stars Armando Espitia, Christian Vázquez, Michelle Rodríguez, Ángeles Cruz, Arcelia Ramírez and Michelle González.

<i>The Truffle Hunters</i> 2020 documentary film directed by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw

The Truffle Hunters is a 2020 documentary film directed and produced by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw. It follows a group of aging men hunting in the woods, for a prized quarry, the Alba truffle. Luca Guadagnino serves as an executive producer under his Frenesy Film Company banner.

<i>Tehran</i> (TV series) Israeli espionage thriller television series

Tehran is an Israeli spy thriller television series created by Moshe Zonder for the Israeli public channel Kan 11. Written by Zonder and Omri Shenhar and directed by Daniel Syrkin, the series premiered in Israel on 22 June 2020 and 25 September internationally on Apple TV+.

Niousha Noor is an American actress of Iranian descent.

The 2023 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 19 to 29, 2023. The first lineup of competition films was announced on December 7, 2022.

<i>Shortcomings</i> (film) 2023 film by Randall Park

Shortcomings is a 2023 American comedy-drama film directed and produced by Randall Park, from a screenplay by Adrian Tomine, based upon his comic of the same name. It stars Justin H. Min, Sherry Cola, Ally Maki, Tavi Gevinson, Debby Ryan, Sonoya Mizuno, Jacob Batalon, and Timothy Simons.

Kneecap is a 2024 comedy drama film describing the rise of Belfast-based hip-hop trio, Kneecap. The film stars the band members as themselves, as well as Michael Fassbender. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2024, the first film in the Irish language to do so.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Persian Version (15)". British Board of Film Classification . November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  2. ↑ "The Persian Version". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved December 22, 2023. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  3. ↑ Lewis, Hilary (December 6, 2023). "National Board of Review Names 'Killers of the Flower Moon' Best Film of 2023". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  4. ↑ Goldsmith, Jill (January 22, 2023). "'The Persian Version' Director Maryam Keshavarz Chose Comedy "Because No Regime Can Extinguish Joy" – Sundance Studio". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  5. ↑ D’Alessandro, Anthony (February 3, 2023). "Sony Pictures Classics Picks Up Sundance Winner 'The Persian Version'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Chapman, Wilson (September 8, 2023). "Taylor Swift's Concert Film Has Changed the Theatrical Release Dates of Five Movies — So Far". IndieWire . Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  7. ↑ Sony Pictures Classics [@sonyclassics] (August 15, 2023). "Khafe sho, everybody 💗 Watch the trailer for #ThePersianVersion, only in theaters October 13 in NY & LA. Coming soon to a theater near you" (Tweet). Retrieved August 17, 2023– via Twitter.
  8. ↑ "The Persian Version". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  9. ↑ "The Persian Version Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  10. ↑ Allen, Nick (January 27, 2023). "Sundance 2023: The Persian Version, Mutt | Festivals & Awards". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  11. ↑ McPherson, Christopher (January 27, 2023). "'A Thousand and One,' 'The Persian Version' & More Win Sundance Film Festival Awards". Collider . Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  12. ↑ Sundance Winner ‘The Persian Version’ Lands at Sony Pictures Classics - The Hollywood Reporter
  13. ↑ Sundance review on Screen Daily
  14. ↑ "Summer Qamp, Drawing a Life audience favourites at CIFF". LiveWire Calgary, October 3, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Newly Rebranded Hollywood Creative Alliance Announce Nominations for the 2024 Astra Awards". Awardsdaily. December 7, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.