Motherland has qualified to be considered for the 2025 Oscars, it is directed by Jasmin Mozaffari.

At the height of the Iranian Hostage Crisis, Iranian Americans were faced with a new level of prejudice that they had never encountered before, which put their futures in the US in doubt. This tension is the subject of Jasmin Mozaffari’s phenomenal short drama MOTHERLAND, which was inspired by the true story of her father.

Set in 1979, the film follows Babak (Behtash Fazlali) as he goes on a trip to meet his fiancé Katie’s (Oriana Leman) parents in rural Iowa. The meeting doesn’t go as planned and makes him confront the realities of being an Iranian immigrant in post-Vietnam America.

This ambitious short is a triumph in every sense of the word. Mozaffari demonstrates supreme mastery of her craft in the telling of this touching and important story that doesn’t shy away from tackling difficult subject matters. The performances are fantastic and great attention to detail is paid to capturing the zeitgeist of the period with great authenticity.

MOTHERLAND is a deeply personal story but one that anyone can relate to, especially for those who have struggled with cultural identity. It’s bold, energetic and resonating, and despite being set over 40 years ago, the movie feels sadly very relevant to this modern age.