Céline Roustan
Set during Thanksgiving in 1979, Motherland follows Katie as she brings her fiancé, Babak, to rural Iowa to introduce him to her parents for the first time. Against the backdrop of the Iran hostage crisis, over the weekend Babak will be confronted with the realities of his status as an Iranian immigrant in late 70s America. Returning to the short film format after her feature debut Firecrackers (TIFF 2018), writer/director Jasmin Mozaffari’s subtle yet effective screenplay is elevated by stellar performances, resulting in a period piece that feels just as topical in today’s world.
Motherland draws inspiration from Mozaffari’s parents’ story, particularly her father, after whom she named her protagonist. “This is really his story adapted and dramatized for the screen”, she shared, adding that she “wanted to pay homage to him (…) but also to all Iranians who struggled to navigate racism and assimilation during this complicated time in history”.
“It was important to me to try and reclaim our narratives”
The emotional core of the narrative is the love story between her two characters, which Mozaffari crafts subtly by weaving in little moments they share on their journey to her parents’. She takes the time to really flesh out these characters – especially Babak – allowing a deeply human portrayal of a West Asian man that challenges the racist tropes we are used to seeing mainly from white lenses. “It was important to me to try and reclaim our narratives”, the filmmaker explained.
From its opening shot, Motherland has an energy and a visual aesthetic that immerses you in its setting – both its location and its time period. Shot on 16mm, it instantly creates the proper atmosphere to enhance the work of production designer Helen Kotsonis and costume designer Mara Zigler. The carefully chosen locations used throughout the short serve to either make Babak fit in or stand out in his surroundings. While, the weight of this kind of far-right patriotism is subtly infused yet palpable through the screen, turning into the antagonist of the narrative.
Though the film is undeniably on the lengthy side, every moment feels essential in conveying Babak’s emotional journey through these couple of days. With editor Alexander Farah (whose own short One Day This Kid premiered at TIFF 24), Mozaffari created the perfect pacing, adapting to the intensity of each one of her scenes effectively, ensuring the film remains engaging throughout the entirety of its 24-minute runtime.
Behtash Fazlali (L) and Oriana Leman star in Motherland
DP Farhad Ghaderi (Found Me) employs an intimate approach to the photography, keeping the camera very close to the actors, capturing the layers and depth of the moments where both Behtash Fazlali and Oriana Leman convey so much without a single line of dialogue. The chemistry between the pair capturing the strength of their relationship and their bond. Throughout the emotional ups and downs of his character, Fazlali’s performance is nothing short of outstanding, revealing his vulnerabilities with sensitivity and a heartbreaking authenticity.
Motherland had its World Premiere at the 2023 edition of TIFF, where it won the Best Canadian Short Film award. Since then, the short has gone on to be selected at multiple festivals, including the Palm Springs ShortFest, and won prizes at Aspen Shortsfest and the Canadian Screen Awards – meaning the film is currently FYC, in the Best Live Action Short Category at the Oscars. Mozaffari is currently working on her second feature, while continuing to direct for television.