— BY Maryam Keshavarz
Coming from two countries at odds with each other, Iranian-American Leila (Layla Mohammadi) strives to find balance and embrace her opposing cultures, while boldly challenging the labels society is so quick to project upon her. When her family reunites in New York City for her father’s heart transplant, Leila navigates her relationships from arm’s length in an effort to keep her “real” life separate from her family life. However, when her secret is unceremoniously revealed, so are the distinct parallels between her life and that of her mother, Shireen (Niousha Noor).
Maryam Keshavarz is an Iranian-American writer, director, and producer. Her first narrative feature, Circumstance, won the Audience Award at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and was released by Participant Media. Keshavarz’s sophomore feature, Viper Club, starring Academy Award–winner Susan Sarandon, had its world premiere at TIFF 2018 and was released by Roadside Attractions. The Persian Version is Keshavarz’s third feature.
Cinereach provided the development financing for the writing of the script of The Persian Version, which won the U.S. Dramatic Award at Sundance Film Festival 2023 and will be released by Sony Pictures Classics. The Persian Version was produced by Maryam Keshavarz for Marakesh Films, Anne Carey for Archer Gray Productions, Ben Howe and Luca Borghese for AGX, and Peter Block and Cory Neal for A Bigger Boat.