Directed by Hesam Farahmand and written by Mohammad Ali Hoseini, Raha is a teenage girl who is studying animation. When she is about to submit her university project, her laptop is stolen and she is forced to cut her hair and sell it to buy a new laptop. Tohid, her father, buys a second-hand laptop with the money from her hair, but the new laptop plunges Raha’s family into a mysterious adventure, into a conflict with a wealthy family over the laptop’s true ownership. Starring: Shahab Hosseini, Ghazal Shakeri, Zoha Esmailifar, Arman Mirzaee, Hadi Eftekharzadeh, Mohammad Reza Samian and Mahni Mehrpour.
A key element to making a story like Mohammad Ali Hoseini creates with My Daughter’s Hair a success is progression, being able to unravel layers and deepen the story, and undoubtedly, he ticks that box here. The way that he’s able to keep intensifying the story and adding new ways to add a harsh realism is impressive. It flows so well, and it has that superb feel of just when you think things can’t get any worse for this family, they can. It’s heart-rending viewing and contains so much struggle and a fantastic portrayal of how society is seemingly built to only worsen problems for people without wealth.
The visual then enhances that further, Hesam Farahmand creates such a grounded atmosphere, one that’s poised for the drama but also built to add an intensity. It holds a deep sadness and desperation to it, something that’s so well complemented by the cinematography from Rouzbeh Raiga, which really brings out the earthy tones of My Daughter’s Hair’s aesthetic. Farahmand does a great job of leaning into how deeply, intentionally and increasingly, frustrating this story is, to make sure it packs a real emotional punch.
Something that of course is also achieved in no small part by the excellent performances by this very talented cast. Shahab Hosseini leads the way with the classic father, he loves his family and wants to provide for them but also wants to hold onto his pride and autonomy, but it’s a tricky line to walk. His performance is incredibly moving and relatable, he provides such a fantastic lead to simultaneously unravel alongside the story.
Zoha Esmailifar is similarly wonderful as his daughter Raha, she has a fantastic determination and good heartedness, which only makes things more painful. Ghazal Shakeri provides a terrific matriarch, she’s practical and resourceful, and tries her hardest to hold things together against the odds. The family is then rounded out by Arman Mirzaee as their son, Soheil, who gives yet another fantastic, emotionally driven performance. They all convincingly and charmingly create this tight knit, loving family, which again, only makes it more difficult to watch as they fall down this rabbit hole of bad luck and despair.
My Daughter’s Hair is gripping and devastating. The way that the story continuously unravels as it progresses is brilliant. Hesam Farahmand and Mohammad Ali Hoseini do such a fantastic job at filling this film with such a harsh realism, and it’s incredibly compelling. The casting work was excellent as this is a talented cast who all bring such shattering sincerity. It’s shot exceptionally well to really capture that realism and fill the atmosphere with an honesty and relentless sorrow.
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