Zar Amir Ebrahimi of 'Holy Spider' delivers a quietly commanding performance as a brave domestic violence survivor who demands a life on her own terms. Still, there is hope for Shayda (the terrific ...

Zar Amir Ebrahimi as Shayda and and Selina Zahednia as Mona in SHAYDA Photo credit: Jane Zhang. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics. Shayda (Zar Amir Ebrahimi) flees her abusive husband in Iran, along ...

Hope and fear vie for prominence throughout Noora Niasari’s debut feature “Shayda,” in which Zar Amir Ebrahimi (“Holy Spider”) enthralls as a Persian mother living in Australia who takes refuge in a ...

The Iranian French actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi has the eyes of a silent film heroine and the face of a Modigliani. In repose, she can convey a sense of sorrow that feels both elegant and timeless, but ...

Cate Blanchett is one of the executive producers of a debut feature starring Zar Amir Ebrahimi, who toplined ‘Holy Spider.’ By Sheri Linden Senior Copy Editor/Film Critic Early scenes are thick with ...

This review was originally part of our coverage of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Shayda delves into the intricate details that highlight joy and violence in a tumultuous life. The film portrays the ...

Danger is never very far away in Noora Niasari’s confident debut, a deeply personal tribute to a generation torn between tradition and modernity. Focusing on the title character, Shayda hangs on a ...

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Cherine Fahd does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their ...

Noora Niasari was editing “Shayda” when the world changed — again — for Iranians. It was September 2022, and Mahsa Amini had just died in police custody, igniting the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement ...

Making her feature debut, writer-director Noora Niasari has crafted a gripping drama about one Iranian woman’s struggle to extricate herself from her husband — an ordeal that could also mean losing ...