Niasari knew it was a risk to make her debut with a project so close to her heart.
Theres a really deep challenge when making work about ones trauma, she says.
Produced by Cate Blanchetts Dirty Films, the film is Australias Oscar entry for Best International Feature Film.
Noora Niasari, right, and her mom Yazdaneh.Madman Entertainment
The whole experience must have been very emotional and difficult.
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NOORA NIASARI: Yeah, absolutely.
When I became a filmmaker, I started thinking about whats going to be my first feature.
Zar Amir Ebrahimi as Shadya and Selina Zahednia as Mona.Jane Zhang/Sony Pictures Classics/Everett Collection
And I guess if it wasnt my first, it wouldve been my third.
And the womens shelter is not a world weve seen on screen before.
I was also really passionate about capturing that.
So, it felt right to start from my own.
DEADLINE: The comradery of the women in that shelter was so apparent from the get-go.
That sense of mutual support was the glue that held everybody together.
NIASARI: Yeah, exactly.
And despite their differences, theyre really united by this shared experience of escaping the trauma of domestic violence.
And so, theres an unspoken bond, and thats something that I remember feeling living in the shelter.
And shes kind of like a godmother to me still after 30 years.
She was also very involved during the writing process.
Or do you even venture to?
It was really challenging.
I had an on-set therapist for part of the time as well.
She was not only helpful to me, but for other people in the casting crew.
DEADLINE: Do you consider the film more autobiographical or more inspired by?
NIASARI: I would consider it more inspired by, but I would say its emotionally autobiographical.
Ive been having a friendship with Charlotte Wells, writer-director ofAftersun, and we talk about this a lot.
DEADLINE: Youve really been doing the festival circuit withShayda.
NIASARI: Ive been touring since January.
Its been a whirlwind.
I never anticipated the film to be so well received in so many different parts of the world.
But its not just women.
DEADLINE: Talk to me a little bit about the casting process for Zar Amir Ebrahimi and Selina Zahednia.
NIASARI: Yeah, theyre the stars.
I searched all of Australia for Shayda, and I couldnt find her.
It was before Zar won Best Actress at Cannes beforeHoly Spidercame out, so she was lesser known.
But as soon as I saw her audition, I just knew she was Shayda.
It was within the first 10 seconds of seeing her on screen.
She has this strength and vulnerability at the same moment, which is really, really strong.
And Selina, again, searched all of Australia.
I mean, its such a small pool of Farsi-speaking 6-year-old girls.
But we did a whole grassroots search through all the Persian schools and the capital cities.
She understood the shifting of emotions and that it was play.
In no way did I want to traumatize a child through the process of this film.
So, that was a huge process and challenge.
DEADLINE: There were moments where there were no words.
We see the whole world through their eyes, and were alongside them the whole time.
So, it was of utmost importance to capture the magic that was between the two of them.
Those were very emotional scenes.
We shot her shots without the father character being around.
So, we shot her reactions separate from the mother-father altercation.
Its movie magic, you know what Im saying?
But you cant tell.
I mean, when you edit things, thats what I mean about substitute situations.
So, its things like that that are important.
So, its things like that.
But I guess thats why hes such a great actor.
I think he was able to tap into what he needed to despite the challenges of those restrictions.
DEADLINE: Lets talk a little bit about your mom.
DEADLINE: What was her reaction to that?
NIASARI: I think she had a feeling.
I think I had mentioned it a few times.
And so there was that navigating all of those things.
But ultimately, shes so proud of the film.
Shes been involved every step of the way.
She loves the film, and shes been doing Q&As with me.
She came to Sundance, and people loved her.
NIASARI: Yeah, there was a lot I didnt know.
She would actually read it to me every night, and I would translate it as we went along.
Sometimes, it was surprising and shocking.
Theres certain things that obviously audiences cant process when it comes to real-life situations that are dark.
You know what I mean?
The dancing was so joyful, and I laughed out loud at the knock-knock joke.
NIASARI: Im so glad.
DEADLINE: That was one of those scenes where she didnt have to say anything.
He said, Knock, knock.
And the look she gave him was just like, huh?
I wanted to make a film that had lightness and joy.
And I think its really important for an audience to feel the highs.
You have to feel the lows as well.
And I found that they came with the right moments, those laughs, because its a release.
And I think you need that so you can really ride this journey through the film.
So, Im glad that it made you laugh.
DEADLINE: Whats next?
Its an adaptation of an Iranian-American novel of the same title.
Its being produced by Gary Foster and Sister, and its set in France.
So, its a really dreamlike, beautiful, wistful film.
DEADLINE: The success ofShaydahas to help you on that front, right?
Its been really helpful.
Yeah, its been really helpful.
Its definitely a step up fromShaydain terms of its budget and scope.
DEADLINE: And the third one is still in the works?
NIASARI: The third one is still in the works.
Its still in the research negotiation phase.
