Toronto 2024 review: Seven Days (Ali Samadi Ahadi)

“A gripping and thought-provoking film that explores the tensions between political resistance and personal sacrifice.”

Seven Days, premiering in the Centrepiece section of this year’s Toronto Film Festival, is a gripping and thought-provoking film that explores the tensions between political resistance and personal sacrifice. Directed by Ali Samadi Ahadi and co-written by Ahadi and Mohammad Rasoulof, the film is an introspective portrayal of Maryam, played by Vishka Asayesh.  Her character is based on real-life activist Narges Mohammadi, who is imprisoned by the Iranian government for her leadership in the anti-regime movement.

On its face, the film’s narrative structure is simple: Maryam is granted a brief seven-day release after suffering a heart attack in prison in order for her to see her doctor and to rest.  Despite this, she is also presented with a nearly impossible decision, whether to reunite with her family who had moved to Germany or stay in Iran and continue her fight.  Her husband, daughter, and son travel from Germany to a Turkish border village to await her crossing and to see her after many years.  The entire premise is filled with tension and it is Asayesh’s nuanced and powerful  performance that gives the film its soul. She brings an incredible depth to Maryam, portraying her as both a determined leader and a conflicted mother, making it impossible not to empathize with her struggle.

What stands out most is how Ahadi uses the film’s pacing and tone; time seems to stretch and compress during Maryam’s leave from prison, reflecting her own emotional journey, as she considers the possibility of freedom with her family over her return to prison.  As the days pass, she grapples with the chance to flee even as the time moves closer toward her potential return to captivity. It’s in these moments that the film really shines, taking the simple narrative and infusing it with existential stakes.

Visually, Seven Days makes stunning use of its settings. Ahadi contrasts the cold, closed interiors where Maryam reconnects with her family, with the expansive, breathtaking shots of the mountainous Turkish-Iranian border. It’s impossible not to feel the weight of that physical journey to freedom, with Ahadi’s direction depicting both the beauty and danger of the landscapes. The mountains, often shot in wide, sweeping angles, feel like their own characters in the film—barriers that must be crossed and reminders of the inescapable forces that govern Maryam’s life. When she reaches the border she confronts not only the physical boundary of her country but also the metaphorical boundary of her commitment to her beliefs.

Thematically, Ahadi also examines motherhood through a feminist lens. Maryam’s decision on whether to return to Iran or to leave with her family is one of the most emotionally charged parts of the film. Maryam deeply loves her family but doesn’t necessarily believe she has to give up her political fight for them. It’s a perspective that challenges traditional expectations of motherhood and family.  Further, Asayesh’s performance in these moments is stellar as she portrays her internal conflict with much honesty and resonance..

Despite these powerful themes, the film occasionally falters in its execution.  Much of the film remains rather uncinematic in both production and narrative.  The family drama, while emotionally compelling, can be rather melodramatic.  There are moments between Maryam and her family that feel forced, with the script pushing their conflict into overly familiar and borderline histrionic territory. Still, the film more than makes up for these moments. Even in its weakest scenes, Seven Days continues to confront the complexities of resistance and family:  what it takes to fight for a cause when it means leaving behind the people you love.

Strengthening the film’s complexity is its meta-narrative.  Mohammad Rasoulof, who co-wrote the screenplay, recently fled Iran after receiving a prison sentence because of his criticism of the Iranian government.  Further, director Ali Samadi Ahadi fled Iran at the age of 12 to escape the Iran-Iraq war.  Both men understand the consequences of political instability, having to leave one’s family, and displacement due to political resistance. Their personal experiences give the film a raw, lived-in authenticity; their voices are shown through Maryam’s struggle, and also in the underlying thematic question of the film: when does the cost to stand up to an oppressive regime become too great?