|
Maryamis a film that is particularly pertinent to the times in which we currently live as it deals with Muslims living in America who have to confront conflicting ideologies on the religion and turbulence on the world stage while trying to lead normal lives. The film is follows the day to day life of Maryam (Mariam Parris), an Iranian-American teenager, whose life begins to change as tensions from the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis begin to emerge around her.
First time writer-director Ramin Serry, who is inspired by his own experiences growing up as an Iranian in America during the 1970s, touches on issues of identity, politics, and change, some of the very same issues American Muslims have been forced to tackle over the past six months.
When Maryam’s cousin Ali (David Ackert) comes to live with her family in New Jersey and attend the local university, he brings with him the fervor of the Iranian revolution as he is a Khomeini devotee. Maryam is exposed to his views on Islam and politics, views that are not necessarily those of her family.
Although the film draws on the serious matters of the time period, these larger contextual elements remain as more of a background to the plot, which manages to focus primarily on the growth of Maryam. Whether it is her life as a high school student or her relationship with her family, the film uses Maryam to tell its story.
This approach does, at times become a hindrance, however. In some scenes, such as the one in the girls’ bathroom of Maryam’s school where tough girl bullies smoke cigarettes, or in the disco roller skating rink where teens are seen socializing and gossiping, the film almost becomes comparable to a highly dramatized high school sitcom.
In contrast to the at times ridiculous humor in these scenes, are the scenes that involve Maryam’s Iranian cousin Ali. Unfortunately, his time on screen lacks something. The filmmakers tried to show his increasing fervor for the Iranian revolution by keying in on him each time political developments in Iran take place. But his behavior seems somewhat off in terms of the depiction of a young ardent Iranian immigrant.
One of the major highlights of the film is the authentic news footage of rallies and demonstrations displaying anti-Iranian sentiment in America at the time as well as clips of Ayatollah Khomeini and the Shah. This gives the film a realistic edge within the world it creates on screen for Maryam. In addition to this, the film shows how an assimilated Iranian family deals with the challenges they suddenly face as a nation they call their own begins to alienate them and, as the film shows, make them a target of retaliation.
Most importantly, the film has been released at an interesting time; a time in which it parallels the anti-Afghan, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim hysteria that took place (and continues) directly after the events of September 11th. It shows how this event is affecting the younger generation of Muslim youth who are American citizens, and in most cases, relate more to the American culture, than to the culture of their parents.
|
