Mahnaz is 45, a widow, and a single mother, who struggles to find time to be a nurse, care for her elderly father-in-law, and raise two kids, including her unruly teenager, Aliyar. She seems to have found the perfect man in Hamid, an ambulance driver, and is about to marry him, but when Aliyar is suspended, things spiral in ways no one could imagine. Director Saeed Roustaee, who was sentenced to six months in prison by the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Iran for his last film, has crafted a visually stunning film and a blistering critique of the Iranian patriarchy.

Curated & presented in partnership with Mizna, SWANA Stories at MSPIFF presents bold and striking new films from North Africa, Southwest Asia, and the diaspora.