The Persian Version

The Persian Version is a 2023 American comedy-drama film directed and written by Maryam Keshavarz. The film stars Layla Mohammadi, Niousha Noor, Bijan Daneshmand, Bella Warda, and Tom Byrne. It follows the struggles of a young Iranian-American woman who is often at odds with her family, particularly with her mother.

The Persian Version
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMaryam Keshavarz
Written byMaryam Keshavarz
Produced by
  • Anne Carey
  • Ben Howe
  • Luca Borghese
  • Maryam Keshavarz
  • Peter Block
  • Cory Neal
Starring
CinematographyAndré Jäger
Edited by
  • Abolfazl Talooni
  • JoAnne Yarrow
Music byRostam Batmanglij
Production
companies
  • Marakesh Films
  • Archer Gray
  • AgX
  • A Bigger Boat
Distributed by
Release dates
  • January 21, 2023 (2023-01-21) (Sundance)
  • October 20, 2023 (2023-10-20) (United States)
Running time
107 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
Languages
Box office$75,592[2]

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023, where it won two awards, including the Audience Award for the U.S. Dramatic Competition. It was for a limited theatrical release in the United States by Sony Pictures Classics and Stage 6 Films on October 20, 2023.

Premise

While her father recovers from a heart transplant, a young Iranian-American filmmaker clashes with her mother and learns of a family secret.[3]

Cast
  • Layla Mohammadi as Leila
    • Chiara Stella as young Leila
  • Niousha Noor as Shireen
    • Kamand Shafieisabet as young Shireen
  • Bijan Daneshmand as Ali Reza Jamshidpour
    • Shervin Alenabi as young Ali Reza Jamshidpour
  • Bella Warda as Mamanjoon
    • Sachli Gholamalizad as young Mamanjoon
  • Jerry Habibi as Abbas
  • Arty Froushan as Majid
  • Andrew Malik as Eman
  • Tom Byrne as Maximillian Balthazar

Release

The Persian Version had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023. It received a standing ovation from the audience.[4] Shortly after, Sony Pictures Classics acquired distribution rights to the film.[5]

The film was for a limited theatrical release in the United States on October 20, 2023.[6] It was previously set for October 13,[7] before being moved a week later to avoid competition with the concert film Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.[6]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 48 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "A vibrant portrait of culture clashes and generation gaps, The Persian Version gains added resonance through its spirited specificity."[8] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 60 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[9]

Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com called the film "an ebullient rule-breaker" and said it was "one of the most entertaining and moving experiences I've had at Sundance this year."[10]

Accolades
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Sundance Film Festival January 27, 2023 Grand Jury Prize - U.S. Dramatic Competition The Persian Version Nominated [11][12][13]
Audience Award - U.S. Dramatic Competition Won
Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award Maryam Keshavarz Won
Calgary International Film Festival October 3, 2023 Audience Choice Award, International Narrative Feature The Persian Version Won [14]

References
  1. "The Persian Version". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  2. "The Persian Version". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  3. ‘The Persian Version’ Review: Can Recounting a Mother’s Past Lead to Reconciliation? - Variety
  4. Goldsmith, Jill (January 22, 2023). "'The Persian Version' Director Maryam Keshavarz Chose Comedy "Because No Regime Can Extinguish Joy" – Sundance Studio". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  5. D’Alessandro, Anthony (February 3, 2023). "Sony Pictures Classics Picks Up Sundance Winner 'The Persian Version'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  6. Chapman, Wilson (September 8, 2023). "Taylor Swift's Concert Film Has Changed the Theatrical Release Dates of Five Movies — So Far". IndieWire. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  7. Sony Pictures Classics [@sonyclassics] (August 15, 2023). "Khafe sho, everybody 💗 Watch the trailer for #ThePersianVersion, only in theaters October 13 in NY & LA. Coming soon to a theater near you" (Tweet). Retrieved August 17, 2023 – via Twitter.
  8. "The Persian Version". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  9. "The Persian Version Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  10. Allen, Nick (January 27, 2023). "Sundance 2023: The Persian Version, Mutt | Festivals & Awards". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  11. McPherson, Christopher (January 27, 2023). "'A Thousand and One,' 'The Persian Version' & More Win Sundance Film Festival Awards". Collider. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  12. Sundance Winner ‘The Persian Version’ Lands at Sony Pictures Classics - The Hollywood Reporter
  13. Sundance review on Screen Daily
  14. "Summer Qamp, Drawing a Life audience favourites at CIFF". LiveWire Calgary, October 3, 2023.
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