The Queen of My Dreams (12A)

(Subtitled)

Fawzia Mirza’s exceptional debut is a story that crosses time, space and even genre.

Azra (Amrit Kaur), a queer MFA grad student, has had a strained relationship with her parents since coming out. When their father dies suddenly in Pakistan, Azra and her brother Zahid catch the next flight to support their grieving mother Mariam (Nimra Bucha). Though both mother and daughter want to be there for each other, high emotions only worsen the tension between them. Flashing back to 1969 Pakistan, we meet a young Mariam (also played by Kaur). She is a completely different woman from the present day. But as we skip from the past to the present to the past again, we discover that Azra and Mariam are more alike than they realise.

While diaspora cinema often uses the trope of a Western-raised child exploring their parent’s past for a more compassionate perspective, writer-director Mirza offers a fresh take. Her sharp focus on the nuances of Azra and Mariam’s relationship, the external factors affecting it, and the exploration of two cultures on the brink of change provide a sensitive and uplifting portrait of womanhood, family, and evolving identities.