Céline Roustan
In the early morning, Mona gets an unexpected visit from two immigration officers coming to check on the veracity of her “marital cohabitation” with her husband, Parviz. As their intrusive behavior increases, the tension gets more and more palpable. In Mona & Parviz, director Kevin Biele plays with the different perspectives of his characters to create a subtle and effective drama—one that raises a few questions along the way.
When we asked Biele what inspired him and screenwriter, Lisa Polster, in crafting this storyline, he shared that, during an interview, a migration officer in Germany once said, “that is not how a marriage looks” amongst other nonsensical statements. This naturally triggered the question of, what is a marriage supposed to look like? What gives anyone the right to judge someone else? In the scenario Biele and Polster have imagined, they landed on immigration officials as these antagonists with the power of the State behind their judging—empowering them to deeply intrude in Mona and Parviz’ lives and potentially cause a rift between the couple.
The film relies greatly on subjectivity, exploring this through the three different character perspectives of the film—perspectives that, to their respective holders, are valid. Polster and Biele do not “stack the deck” against any of the characters, each perspective is portrayed with care and never feels grotesque (even though one is definitely infuriating). The officers are technically doing their job, but their operating assumptions are based on very conservative and traditional ideas of what a marriage should look like. Mona is simply annoyed (at first) by this unannounced and abrasive intrusion, especially since they’ve followed the application process dutifully, but the film slowly reveals something else on her mind, which explains her hostility. Parviz is the one with the most at stake since he is the one who needs the visa. All three emotional journeys are nuanced and deeply compelling.
Structurally, the film is built to maximize the tension from the viewer’s seat. The editing and pacing play with the aforementioned perspectives to enhance Mona’s anger and engage us in palpable suspense. Where the film subverts expectations is at the conclusion, as we come to see that, ultimately, it wasn’t about whether the officers would deem their marriage legitimate, but rather about the toll the process is taking on the couple.
Biele tells us that with DP Leon Edmonds-Pool, they opted to shoot the film with very long takes to allow the actors to play with the tension and stay in that space without being interrupted. The energy Banafshe Hourmazdi brings to her character Mona was so captivating, without saying much we can feel the anger brewing inside of her, and anger towards the current intrusion but the whole system altogether. While Cino Djavid as Parviz has a milder version of that sentiment, mixed with the gravity of his situation—his future in the hands of the two officers. The situation almost turns into a silent faceoff between the officers and the couple.
Mona & Parviz hit the festival circuit ahead of its online premiere with selections including the Dutch festival Go Short. Biele, still in undergrad, is currently shooting his graduation short and working on the screenplay of his first feature.