Written and directed by Amir Zargana, ‘A Good Day will Come’ is a 2024 Iranian canadian short drama film. It stars Sia Alipour, Mehdi Bajestani and Shoale Shahbazi.
A Good Day will Come is the story of Arash who is a professional wrestler from Iran. Arash spends his time training and dreaming of representing his country at a global competition. However, Iran is at a crossroads with people and government slowly coming into conflict with each other due to the regime’s oppressive policies. When his family is affected by the conflict, Arash must decide between using his unique position to stand up to tyranny, or put his head down and focus on the gold medal he has been training for. Pushed to make a decision, Arash will do something drastic that will have far reaching consequences for everyone.
Iran has been witnessing serious protests against the regime for quite some time now. A combination of economic mismanagement and heavy handedness has turned quite a large populace against the current government which has resorted to increasingly violent means to stay in power. Amir Zargana was moved to make the film after witnessing the plight of Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari. Afkari was executed after taking part in protests against the
Iranian government with the government insisting that he had killed a person during protests.
Both the direction and the pacing here deserve accolades. Zargara packs so much into the 25 minute short that it feels like a whole feature. The narrative pacing is on point and nowhere does the film get throttled by tedious exposition. In the acting department, Sia Alipour as Arash is a revelation. He perfectly encapsulates the rebel who once had lofty ambitions but now will do anything and everything to attain freedom. Equally impressive is the rest of the cast who do well to elevate the script. Mehdi Bajestani, in particular, is fantastic as Arash’s coach; astute yet measured, he wants Arash to focus on his goal.
Zargara chooses to show Arash’s transformation in a complex way, showing how heavy handedness by the regime contributes to a sportsman turning into a rebel. The regime is shown as violent and unforgiven as it utilises extreme methods to keep the populace in check. The regime’s secret police are everywhere and they make note of Arash after seeing him lead a protest. Thus, Arash sets his life on a course that will not have a happy ending.
In regards to its technical aspects, ‘A Good Day will Come’ bursts out of the screen due to its stunning cinematography. Perfectly capturing the smokey cloudy visual sensibilities of Iran, the film has a visual narrative of its own that complements the human drama unfolding onscreen. Zargara keeps the camera fixated on Arash and most of the film is shown through his perspective as he goes from a meek and humble sportsman to someone who offers the ultimate sacrifice for his country’s freedom. Arash’s moral conundrums, his interactions with his friends and family and his overarching journey is visualised in the most organic way possible.
Thus, A Good Day will Come is a fantastic short film, one that exceeds all expectations. Amir Zargara has made a wonderful film, one that pays rich tribute to people in Iran fighting against the regime. The film looks and feels gritty and real as Zargara shows real life consequences of standing up to an oppressive government. Sadly what is a familiar scene in Iran today is expertly recreated here as Zargara plunges the audience into the mind of an individual who decides to do something drastic for his country.
