Rāz

An unexpected death amidst a wedding grips an Iranian-American immigrant family with a moral dilemma.

On the eve of a wedding, tragedy hits. The smell of ghormeh-sabzi wafts from the kitchen as funeral lilies linger awkwardly after a wedding dress fitting. Vivid tableaus and tightly framed mise-en-scène capture the private space of the Iranian home.

Evolving almost like a mystery, with an undercurrent of tragedy, two siblings carry a dark secret as micro-incidents build a feeling of dread. Can the shotgun wedding and house contain all the lies and pressure boiling? Through the film’s visual language and poetry, we feel the collective and inherited pain of a diaspora unconsciously echoing.

What unfolds in the final act is an aperture into greater tragedy — children so disconnected from their mother, that they ultimately miss what they’ve been protecting her from all along.

RĀZ explores how traumas pass down in immigrant families decades on. It is an honest exploration of the “morality” of outdated Iranian virtues, bringing the audience into each moment with visceral and emotional realism.

Categories: Drama