Shayda 2023

Shayda, an Iranian immigrant, and Joyce are at an airport in 1995, teaching Mona to run to the security line if her father, Hossein, ever tries to abduct her. They, along with several other women with children, live in a crowded women’s shelter run by Joyce. The atmosphere is protective but tense, and conflicts among residents are a frequent undercurrent in their shared space.

Joyce and Shayda document the residents’ stories with the help of an interpreter, while Mona wrestles with nightmares and bed-wetting, signs that fear lingers in their everyday life. In the kitchen and the courtyard, Shayda grows wheat sprouts and prepares Iranian dishes for Nowruz, guiding Mona through the traditions—like setting the haft-sin table—that anchor a sense of culture and ritual in a precarious situation. A new woman, Lara, arrives at the shelter, adding another layer to the group’s dynamics.

A judge grants Hossein weekly, unsupervised visits with Mona, a prospect that terrifies Shayda even as she tries to cooperate for Mona’s sake. Hossein makes earnest gestures and gifts in an attempt to appear reformed, but the women remain wary of his true intentions. Shayda also reconnects with her Iranian Australian friend Elly, and she and the shelter women, along with Elly, go to a club where they meet Elly’s warm and supportive cousin Farhad.

Mona asks to celebrate Chaharshanbe Suri in a park, and Shayda accompanies her, venturing out with Elly and friends despite fears of judgment from some in their community. As time passes, Hossein grows more abusive when he is due to pick up Mona. Shayda forms a tentative friendship with Lara and introduces her to divination with The Divān of Hafez; Lara’s situation stabilizes when the police locate her son and bring him to live at the shelter. Shayda also demonstrates Iranian dancing for the group, weaving tradition into moments of resilience.

During a visit, Hossein promises Mona that they will go to see The Lion King, but he is instead spying on Shayda. When he returns, his threats intensify, including a chase after Joyce’s car as he warns of what he could do. At Elly’s Nowruz party, Shayda notices that her presence unsettles some guests, yet she and Farhad share a moment of connection through dance. Hossein arrives unannounced, assaults Shayda and Farhad, and a fire erupts at the shelter, hospitalizing a resident and forcing everyone to move to a different place.

The following Nowruz brings new beginnings: Shayda and Mona celebrate with presents in a separate accommodation, and Shayda pursues nursing studies at a university while continuing to care for Mona. Shayda and Joyce arrange a supervised visit to a prison where Hossein is serving his sentence, a quiet reminder of the long arc of their ordeal. The film closes with a poignant montage drawn from video recordings made by the director, a young child, and her mother during Nowruz, underscoring the enduring memory of family, courage, and cultural practice.