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Like a Fish on the Moon film image, director Dornaz Hajiha

Like a Fish on the Moon

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North American Premiere

Ilya is a normal, healthy four-and-a-half year-old boy. He goes to daycare and enjoys playing. He comes from a stable background with loving parents. But for reasons known only to himself, he has stopped talking. Contrary to what you might expect, Dornaz Hajiha’s superbly acted film zeroes in on the boy’s mom and dad, Haleh and Amir (Sepidar Tari and Shahdiyar Shakiba). In the first scene, a pyschologist probes their relationship and recommends that they reverse roles, that is, Amir should take over responsibility for getting Ilya dressed, feeding him, and the thousand other little things that his wife routinely does for their son. He grudgingly agrees. But it’s Haleh who really struggles with the new arrangement. She feels helpless and redundant. And Ilya still isn’t talking.

In her spare, empathetic first feature film, Hajiha establishes such authenticity, it’s almost as if we are watching an observational documentary. As the distressed parents consult one specialist after another, all to no avail, their own mental health suffers and the marriage cracks apart, leading to a devastating climax.

A transfixing and brooding, unafraid film where there are no winners. But there are truths to be had.”—Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com

 

Q&A Oct 2 & Oct 4

 

Media Partner

Director
Cast

Sepidar Tari, Shahdiyar Shakiba, Ali Ahmadi

Credits
Country of Origin

Iran

Year

2022

Language

In Farsi with English subtitles

Film Contact
18+
78 min
Drama Women Directors

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Credits

Producer

Ehsan Rasoulof

Screenwriter

Dornaz Hajiha

Cinematography

Alireza Barazande

Editor

Ashkan Mehri

Director

Dornaz Hajiha headshot, Like a Fish on the Moon director

Dornaz Hajiha

Dornaz Hajiha received her Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design from Alzahra University, Tehran, and graduated with an MA in Film Production from the London Film School in 2015. She has written and directed several short films and documentaries, including Marlon (2017) and Marziyeh (2017). Like a Fish on the Moon is her debut feature. Hajiha is currently developing her second feature, Diaphanous.