When a large Iranian-American family gathers in New York City for the patriarch’s heart transplant, a family secret is uncovered and catapults the estranged mother and daughter into an exploration of the past.
Layla Mohammadi
Leila
Niousha Noor
Shireen
Kamand Shafieisabet
Young Shireen
Bijan Daneshmand
Ali Reza
Bella Warda
Mamanjoon
Chiara Stella
Young Leila
Tom Byrne
Maximillian
Shervin Alenabi
Young Ali Reza
Parmida Vand
Nurse Roja
Sachli Gholamalizad
Young Mamanjoon
Arty Froushan
Majid
Samuel Tehrani
Shivaz
Jerry Habibi
Abbas
Parsa Kaffash
Vahid
Reza Diako
Hamid
Andrew Malik
Eman
Mia Foo
Elena
Boshra Dastournezhad
Soussan
Ash Goldeh
Babajoon
M. Mehdi Tahmasebi
Zal
Kamyab Falahati
Rostam
Satya Nikhil Polisetti
Raj Patel
Kathryn Barnett
Dr. Manzano
Cemre Ebüzziya
Dr. Anahita
Alexander Dane
Instructor
Michael Mannai
Teacher
Giovanni Lelli
Surgeon
Saeid Salehi
Airport Officer
Aylin Dilara White
Phone Receptionist
Rana Caliskan
Hospital Administrator
Melek Sani
Aunt Mahdis
Vani Murazi
Priya Anand
Derin Arduman
Grocery Clerk
Ned Mardin
Lawyer
Florans Atlantis
Nasir
Kenneth Fine
Jim
Sean Yazici
Young Majid
Kartal Bilcanli
Young Abbas
Nima Tavanaei
Young Hamid
Mohammadmoeid Zalaghi
Young Zal
Seyhan Kiskacioglu
Young Rostam
Ege Ares Sirali
Young Eman
Zahra Khonshnafs
Farrah Alavi
Siamak Bahramzadeh
Wedding Singer / Dr. Alavi
Tina Mahdizadehsari
Ob/Gyn
Sanem Rahmani
Nurse
Magde Karagoz
Calm Nurse
Bircan Caglar
Nervous Nurse
Nick Grau
News Reporter
Parmis Abrari
Iranian Student
Kamila Korkmaz
American Student
Barbaros Arikan
Daniel Azizam
Matona Zulu
Store Employee
Soufi Ahora
Young Boy
Director, Writer
Maryam Keshavarz
Script Editor
Jonathan Mastro
March 27, 2024
6
"Leila" (Layla Mohammadi) has a sort of love/hate relationship with her mother "Shireen" (Kamand Shafieisabet who morphs into the formidable Niousha Noor) that seems to centre around the former's more independent, and lesbian, lifestyle in the United States to where the family emigrated from Iran. What's bringing all this familial strife to an head is the fact that her father is suffering from heart problems in hospital. They are all gathering around to be supportive and "Shireen" can barely suffer her daughter to remain in the same room. Now "Leila" has been told their arrival in America was due to a doctor shortage following the Vietnam war, but a casual conversation with her grandmother (Bella Warda) introduces the idea of a "scandal" into the proceedings. She doesn't get an immediate explanation, but gradually she is filled in on a scenario that isn't quite as she'd been led to believe. It appears that her parents started out in a remote part of their homeland and that their early marriage wasn't exactly "straightforward". What now ensues bares then brings together the threads of the lives of these two women as they both develop the strong character traits that explains rather well the reasons for the current combativeness. A Halloween one-night-stand with actor "Max" (Tom Byrne) further complicates things as we head to a frenetic conclusion that is all pretty predictable. Initially, this offers us quite an interesting look at contrasting cultures and generational aspirations, but otherwise it's not really very funny, plays to a load of stereotypes - she has nine brothers so every box can be ticked, and I found the last few scenes really quite annoyingly selfish. It's an OK watch this, but you'll never remember it.