On August 12, on the Piazza Grande, Locarno will screen Shayda, the powerful debut film from Iranian-Australian Director Noora Niasari, starring Zar Amir Ebrahimi (Best Actress at Cannes Film Festival in 2022) and winner of the Audience Award at
Sundance this year. Actress Cate Blanchett, who is Executive
Producer will also join the director and the actress on the Piazza Grande stage.
At 5:15 that same day at the Gran Rex, Noora Niasari and Zar Amir Ebrahimi will have a conversation on the theme of “Iranian women and Iranian Cinema” moderated by Cate Blanchett.
Depicting personal stories that delve into the political realm is a challenge that more and more directors are turning to in order to offer different perspectives on some of today’s most pressing issues. This powerful debut from first time director Niasari is no different, telling the inspiring story of an Iranian woman’s journey to freedom as she finds refuge in a women’s shelter after immigrating to Australia.
Drawn from her own experiences, Niasari’s powerful debut is a beautifully crafted, poetic vérité portrayal of courage and compassion, anchored by a heart-rending performance by Zar Amir Ebrahimi. It will be a powerful closing night film in the Piazza Grande as we will bid farewell to the audience alongside Blanchett, Niasari and Ebrahimi with one of the most remarkable directorial debuts of the year.
On the afternoon of August 12th, a conversation between director Noora Niasari and actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi, moderated by Cate Blanchett, will take place on the theme of “Iranian women and Iranian cinema” at the GranRex Cinema in Locarno at 5:15pm.
On a day brimming with emotions, the event in Piazza Grande will reach its climactic conclusion with an intriguing surprise. The program will feature a true cinematic masterpiece from the annals of film history, chosen by President Marco Solari, to greet the Piazza Grande audience at the conclusion of his 20-year presidency. The screening is offered free of charge.
Sale of Day Passes and tickets for the evenings on the Piazza Grande now open
The Locarno Film Festival will be held August 2 – 12