Joonam

Filmmaker Sierra Urich returns to her family’s home in Vermont in an attempt to decipher her own relationship to her Iranian heritage. Turning the camera on the three generations of women in her family, Sierra interrogates her longing for a place to which she has never been but feels deeply connected. She starts taking Farsi lessons online in the hope of bridging the divide but must still rely on her mother for most translation. In a series of conversations, she probes into the family history and attempts to piece together the full stories of both women before they came to the US. An intimate film full of heart and humor, Joonam moves between past and present with a masterful grasp of visual language and a refusal to shy away from difficult discussions. (CT)