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Away

Name: Away
Director: Parisa Aminolahi
Released: 2013
Duration: 16 min

Representation Score

8.5/10

Excellent

2013

Director

Parisa Aminolahi

Runtime

16 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Away provides a deep exploration of the immigrant psyche, moving beyond external political issues to focus on internal experiences. By centering an Iranian female perspective, it challenges traditional Western migration stories. The film excels at depicting the psychological impact of displacement, using the protagonist's retreat into dreams to illustrate the alienation felt during cultural transitions. While the film lacks LGBTQ+ representation and detailed discussions of mental health, its strength lies in its cultural depth and the complexity of the diaspora experience.

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Category Breakdown

Does Away have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

There are no visible queer characters or non-cisgender identities in the story, which focuses on a heterosexual couple.

How does Away portray gender?

Good

The film centers on a woman's emotional and psychological journey, emphasizing her subjective experience and internal struggles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Away?

Excellent

By focusing on the Iranian diaspora, the film explores the complexities of immigrant identity, avoiding superficial clichés.

How does Away represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative examines the tension between traditional heritage and Western modernity, highlighting the protagonist's sense of isolation.

Does Away include disability representation?

Fair

The film touches on mental health issues such as homesickness and dissociation, but does not include physical disabilities.

Present on Screen

The film provides a nuanced, non-Western perspective on migration by centering the Iranian diaspora.
It offers a fresh take on displacement narratives by focusing on a female protagonist's internal struggles.
The exploration of the psychological friction between heritage and modernity adds significant depth.

Limited or Absent

The story lacks visible LGBTQ+ representation or queer identities.
The portrayal of mental health and psychological dissociation could benefit from more detailed exploration.
The focus on a heterosexual couple limits the scope of relationship dynamics explored.

Official Synopsis

A young couple move from Iran to the Netherlands. The woman tries to explore the new environment and adapt herself to it. However, the contrast between where they came from and where they now live, their isolation and being away from family and friends, made the woman dispirited and homesick. The memories and nostalgia for her country encourage the woman to abandon reality and instead to sleep and live in her dreams but a peculiar phenomenon threatens her life...

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