Watch Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness

Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness is a thought-provoking drama film that was directed by Massoud Bakhshi. This film tells the story of a young woman named Maryam (played by Sadaf Asgari), who is charged with murdering her much older husband, Nasser. She is sentenced to death by hanging in a few days, but she's been given the opportunity to earn forgiveness from Nasser's only daughter, Mona (Behnaz Jafari).

The story takes place in Iran, and the entire movie happens in one night, during Yalda, the midwinter festival that marks the longest night of the year. Mona is a popular TV host, and she invites Maryam to her show, which will be broadcast live during Yalda's night. In this show, they will have to face each other, and Maryam will have to ask for Mona's forgiveness, and if she fails to do so, she will be sentenced to death.

The show takes place in a large studio, where an audience watches the proceedings. The director of the show, Javad (played by Babak Karimi), is in charge of keeping the show moving and making sure it meets the broadcast standards. Javad is a stern and intimidating man, and he's not hesitant to resort to any measures to get the audience's attention.

As the show begins, Maryam and Mona are alone on a stage, facing each other in front of a live audience. They start to talk, and the conversation is every bit as tense and charged as you'd expect. Mona is initially hesitant to forgive Maryam, and the audience cheers her on. But as the conversation unfolds, things start to change.

As Maryam tells her story, it becomes apparent that her situation is more nuanced than it initially appeared. She describes her life with Nasser, and how it was filled with abuse and manipulation. She tells of how he took her from her family and made her life a living hell. Her story is heartbreaking, and the audience soon begins to understand the complexity of the situation.

As the conversation between Mona and Maryam continues, Javad starts to make things more complicated. He encourages the audience to vote on whether or not Mona should forgive Maryam. He tells Mona that by forgiving Maryam, she's not just forgiving Maryam, she's also forgiving herself. He tells Maryam that she needs to show true remorse for her actions if she wants to earn forgiveness.

The tension in the studio builds as the night goes on. The audience becomes more and more vocal in their opinions, and Javad is forced to intervene several times to keep things under control. As things progress, Maryam starts to break down, and it becomes clear that the weight of her past is almost too much for her to bear.

Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness is a slow-burning, thought-provoking film that explores themes of forgiveness, redemption, and the dark underbelly of Iranian society. Director Massoud Bakhshi masterfully creates a sense of claustrophobia and tension, and his use of the single-setting and real-time format only adds to this feeling. Behnaz Jafari and Babak Karimi deliver stand-out performances, but it's Sadaf Asgari who steals the show as Maryam. Her quiet, understated performance is incredibly moving, and it's her character that the audience ends up rooting for the most.

Overall, Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness is a powerful and thought-provoking film that's definitely worth seeing.

Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness is a 2021 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 29 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.1.