Ava

(Sadaf Foroughi, Canada/Iran 2017, 102 min., DCP, Persian w/subtitles)

Rochester Premiere. Based on the director’s own adolescent experiences, Sadaf Foroughi’s Ava is a gripping debut about coming of age in a strict society. Living with her well-to-do parents in Tehran, Ava is bright and focused, with common teenage concerns—friendships, music, social status, academic performance. When her mistrustful and overprotective mother questions her relationship with a boy, Ava is overwhelmed by a newfound rage. The model student begins to rebel against the strictures imposed by her parents, her school, and society.