Ava is a coming of age story from Sadaf Foroughi, an Iranian born, Montreal based filmmaker. It looks like a gorgeous film.
Here’s the film synopsis, “Based on her own adolescent experiences, Sadaf Foroughi’s Ava is a gripping debut about a young girl’s coming-of-age in a strict, traditional society. Living with her well-to-do parents in Tehran, Ava is a bright and focused teen whose concerns — friendships, music, social status, academic performance — resemble that of nearly any teenager. When Ava’s mistrustful and overprotective mother questions her relationship with a boy — going so far as to visit a gynecologist — Ava is overwhelmed by a newfound rage. Formerly a model student, Ava begins to rebel against the strictures imposed by her parents, her school, and the society at large.”
Ava is played by Mahour Jabbar, with Bahar Noohian playing her mother and Shayesteh Sajadi playing Ava’s friend Melody.
The director is quoted as saying that music is an important part of the film. “Ava has been written and directed as a piece of music, in the form of a Variation. The formal technique where the material repeated in an altered form and evolve at the same time. It is how I shaped the narrative and cinematic language of Ava.”
The film is in Persian with English subtitles. It will be released in select theaters in late April, 2018. I’m hoping it will be available on streaming services soon after.