By Mr. Will Wong
Toronto’s Fawzia Mirza has crafted an accomplished debut feature in THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS, which premiered at TIFF ’23 to raves. The semi-autobiographical film, which saw previous incarnations as a stage play and a short film, is based on fact and fantasy and told through a unique lens.
The Comedy centers on Azra (one of two roles played by Amrit Kaur), a young gay Pakistani-Canadian woman who learns of her father’s abrupt passing back home. She must travel home to send her father off, which awakens memories of her past life as she confronts her mother Mariam (older version played by Nimra Buchra) with whom she has a strained relationship. We also meet a younger version of Mariam (played also by Amrit Kaur), who is just growing into a woman. She meets the ever-charming Hassan (Hamza Haq), an aspiring doctor. Though they are certain that they are meant for one another, it ultimately is Mariam‘s mother who needs convincing, which is difficult as Hassan has ambitions to travel far away to build a career, meaning he would be taking Mariam away if they were to wed.
What’s so unique about THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS is the honesty at which it looks at these to concurrent coming of age stories between eventual mother and daughter. Both Mariam and Azra both carry the weight of expectations from their culture and generations past. This presents roadblocks in their self-realization and potential. For Mariam, it is heartbreaking seeing her as a young woman, full of love and hope to her toughened exterior later in life, where she’s never quite accepting of her daughter’s lifestyle and choices. On the inverse, Azra is free to be her authentic self back in Canada, but we see what going back home does to her, not being afforded simple privileges her brother is allowed as a male, like preparing their father for his burial. She can’t even have a drink. This is a sympathetic look at how we live in the current, but can never quite avoid the caked-on residue of the past.
Kaur is a magnetic force in her dual role, disappearing into the younger mother and daughter seamlessly, whether it be the ’60s or the ’90s. Haq also is fantastic whether it be playing Hassan‘s younger self, or riddled by health issues in his older age. I could not keep my eyes off him. Another standout also is Bucha, who is a commanding presence, mothering with a firm hand and also trying to reconcile her life in Canada with her faith. Cinematographer Matt Irwin (Sort Of, Tallboyz) captures the beauty of Karachi and all its colour, punctuating the compelling beauty of young love between Mariam and Hassan.
Such a gorgeous film that portrays Muslim women in a way we’ve never quite seen before, yet feeling distinctively Canadian. Cineplex Pictures release THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS March 22, 2024.
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