Synopsis
I Am Nasrine is an intimate journey of self-discovery, a film that is both startlingly beautiful and quietly profound, one that ultimately reveals the unfolding of a soul.
Set in modern day Tehran, and the UK, the film follows the paths of Nasrine and Ali, sister and brother in a comfortable, middle class Iranian home. For Nasrine, Iran is an unyielding place. The rules are clear, and breaking them has consequences. When Nasrine has a run-in with the police, the punishment she receives is more than she bargained for.
At their father’s bidding, Nasrine and Ali set out for the UK, torn about leaving behind their home and all that they know, embarking on a reluctant exile. Still, for Nasrine, there is undeniable excitement about the prospect of starting a new life in the West, and an eagerness for its promise of new freedoms.
Arriving in Britain, their fate and their future are far from certain. They must start quite literally from nothing. They find a flat together. She starts at school, while he finds work. Nasrine is quick to settle into her new life, making friends, forming bonds. Meeting Nichole from the gypsy/traveler community, she realizes her inhibitions and doubts are their own mental prison. She strives to find herself and what she wants. To live for herself. All the while her brother Ali struggles with the realities of life in the UK, his sister’s uncontrollable independence and his own awakening sexuality.
Then comes 9/11. Their parents will be unable to join them in Britain, leaving them quite alone. Not to mention quite apart when an unimaginable tragedy occurs. Nasrine must discover an incredible courage within her to accept what fate has dealt her; discovering that the end of her journey is really just the beginning.
Can hope, simple untainted hope, overcome the darkest of tragedies? I Am Nasrine explores this questions and more, and offers answers that are sure to surprise.