Noora Niasari’s debut feature, Shayda, looks at the deeper issues surrounding divorce, spousal abuse, sexual violence, the clash of cultures, and women’s struggle for autonomy. Nisari, an Iranian-born, Australian-raised director, reflects on her personal childhood experiences in this powerful and heartbreaking story. Niasari grew up in a shelter and the movie explores her mother’s struggle to raise a young child as an Iranian woman seeking safety from an abusive husband. It sheds light on the deeper connections between family and patriarchal norms that dictate the life of the titular protagonist.
Set in 1995, Shayda (Zar Amir Ebrahimi) is an Iranian woman in Australia trying to get away from her abusive husband, Hossein (Osamah Sami). He is finishing his studies at medical school and wishes to return to Iran after he graduates, but Shayda has different plans. After filing for divorce from Hossein, she stays at a women’s shelter with her six-year-old daughter, Mona (Selina Zahednia). Shayda takes her hijab off and embraces her newfound freedom in Western culture, which frustrates Hossein. With the women’s shelter director, Joyce (Leah Purcell), Shayda prepares herself for the custody hearing. But when the court grants Hossein unsupervised visitation rights, Shayda fears that he might kidnap Mona. Hossein becomes threatened by Shayda’s freedom, asks her about the way she dresses during their brief encounters, and questions who she has been socialising with. Shayda tries to break away from the expectations that are set for her by her culture, and she must ensure that her daughter isn’t taken away from her.
It is hard to watch some of the scenes as the titular protagonist tries to return to society, only to be filled with anxiety due to the small Persian community’s attitude towards divorce and women’s autonomy. While Shayda is not anywhere near Iran, the women are fighting for their human rights in the country. Last year, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was arrested by the notorious morality police for not complying with the government’ required dress code, and she died three days later in police custody. The events in Niasari’s movie and Mahsa’s brutal murder show how these issues are linked; the reality of women’s freedom is represented in the movie through the director’s own experience. The laws and policies prohibit women from pursuing a career and their self-liberation from oppressive forces, and in the case of Shayda is her husband. It symbolises the injustice of society’s restrictive rules for women.
Shayda features many scenes that show how family and community often isolate women that are trying to free themselves from abusive situations and even normalise it by begging victims to give the sources of their abuse a second chance. It’s instances like this that ring true in the movie. The community isolates and shames Shayda for the divorce and her desire for freedom. During the tense, brief interactions with Hossein, Niasari carefully renders these scenes to show how the protagonist feels claustrophobic and a sense of foreboding. This story relies on a realistic approach to keep the narrative focused on the drama, but Shayda’s strongest aspect is the titular protagonist’s character journey.
Shayda transitions from being fearful to a confident and headstrong woman in the movie. Niasari touches on sexual violence, spousal abuse, and the hypocrisies of the justice system that protects men over women’s safety. The director examines the complex and nuanced journey of Shayda as a character, and creates a reality that many women experience around the world. It shows that many women, just like Shayda, are subjected to verbal and physical abuse from their partners, and Niasari adds these real-life scenarios to drive the story forward. All of this is only achieved when the performances provide genuine portrayals of these complicated roles. Ebrahimi gives everything in this role. Her nuanced performance reveals the heartbreaking moments by conveying her character’s internal struggles and trauma. There’s a saying, ‘silence screams louder than words,’ and this can be said for Ebrahimi’s performance, as she gracefully communicates her fear and trauma through looks or moments of silence.
Shayda is a touching drama that features a woman’s struggle for freedom and self-determination. The ending perfectly harmonises with the vulnerable details of motherhood and being free from the constraints of patriarchy and cultural norms. Niasari and Ebrahimi are a perfect duo that captures tender and delicate moments of love and resilience between Shayda and Mona, which is the movie’s biggest strength. In a world of the patriarchy looming behind the shadows, Shayda captures the feminine spirit of its protagonist.
