When her Iranian-American family reunites in New York City for her father’s heart transplant, Leila navigates her relationships at arm’s length in an effort to keep her “real” life separate from her family life. However, when her secret is abruptly revealed, so are the distinct parallels between her life and that of her mother.
Punctuated by a bright colour palette, snappy comedic relief, and vibrant dance numbers, THE PERSIAN VERSION delivers an honest portrayal of a woman who remains unapologetically herself, blended with a hilarious and heartfelt story about family, belonging, and the undeniable influence of pop music. Winning both the Audience Award and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, writer-director-producer Maryam Keshavarz delivers a universal and timely story of the Iranian and the Iranian-American experience.
- Awards
- Audience Award - U.S. Dramatic, 2023 Sundance Film Festival
Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award - U.S. Dramatic, 2023 Sundance Film Festival - Festivals
- Sundance Film Festival
- Director
- Maryam Keshavarz
- Executive Producer
- Nyla Hazratjee, Amy Nauiokas
- Producer
- Maryam Keshavarz , Anne Carey, Ben Howe, Luca Borghese, Corey Neal, Peter Block
- Screenwriter
- Maryam Keshavarz
- Cinematographer
- André Jäger
- Editor
- Abolfazl Talooni , Joanne Yarrow, A.C.E.
- Music
- Rostam Batmanglij
- Cast
- Layla Mohammadi , Niousha Noor, Kamand Shafieisabet, Bijan Daneshmand, Bella Warda, Chiara Stella, Tom Byrne, Shervin Alenabi, Arty Froushan , Samuel Tehrani, Jerry Habibi, Reza Diako, Andrew Malik