The 2023 Sundance Film Festival will take place from 19 to 29 January, online and in person in Park City, Utah. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States. Some films from the region not to be missed:
"The Persian Version" by Maryam Keshavarz: Iranian-American writer, director and producer Maryam Keshavarz won the Audience Award at Sundance in 2011 with her first narrative feature "Circumstance". This year she returns with her third feature. The synopsis: "Coming from two countries at odds, Iranian-American Leila (Layla Mohammadi) struggles to find balance and embrace her opposing cultures, while boldly defying the stereotypes that society is so quick to project onto her. When her family reunites in New York for her father's heart surgery, Leila navigates trying to maintain a distance between her personal life and her family life. However, when her secret is discovered, many parallels are drawn between her life and her mother's life, Shireen (Niousha Noor)."
"Five Seasons of Revolutions" by Lina: born in Damascus, Lina is a freelance filmmaker, cameraman and journalist, known only by her first name. This film is the result of ten years of work. The synopsis: "When the promise of an Arab Spring swept through the region and protests calling for the overthrow of the Syrian regime reached Damascus, young freelance video reporter Lina and her group of hopeful and cosmopolitan compatriots celebrated the arrival of the revolution. Not to be arrested, Lina plays with several identities to survive and continue her reporting. From the excitement of the first days, the filmmaker falls into a certain resignation. She uses a particular style in her film that mixes diaries, memories and reflections to share her personal story of the revolution.
"Animalia" by Sofia Alaoui: Moroccan winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Short Films ("And if the goats die", 2020) returns to 2022 Sundance Festival with a first feature film of science fiction. Synopsis: "Pregnant Itto looks forward to the return of her husband, Amine, to his wealthy family. But when the country is placed in a state of emergency and strange weather events occur, Itto unexpectedly finds the possibility of a new emancipation."
"Shayda" by Noora Niasari: Drawn from personal experiences, Iranian-Australian filmmaker Noora Niasari's powerful debut feature is a poetic portrait of courage and compassion, starring Zar Amir Ebrahimi (winner of the Best Actress award at Cannes in 2022 for "Holy Spider"). Synopsis: "An Iranian woman living in Australia, Shayda, joins a women's shelter with her 6-year-old daughter, Mona. Having fled her husband Hossein and filed for divorce, Shayda struggles to maintain a semblance of normality for Mona. As Norouz (Persian New Year) approaches, a judge grants Hossein visitation rights, upsetting Shayda's fragile balance.