The Cinematheque

“A heartfelt exploration of those living within a diaspora, the fractured connection each generation has to their own culture, and the irrevocable bond of shared roots.”

Marya E. Gates, RogerEbert.com

A Sundance 2023 official selection, Joonam is a heartfelt and intimate documentary on identity, intergenerational trauma, and the search for belonging that resonates across diasporas. Sierra Urich, a filmmaker raised in Vermont by her Iranian mother and American father, seeks to explore the complexities of identity, memory, and generational ties. She invites her mother Mitra and her grandmother Behjat to join her on a deeply personal journey to uncover her family’s past and understand the experiences that shaped these women in her life. Together, they revisit stories of migration, loss, and resilience, navigating the intricate mother-daughter dynamics that span several decades. As Behjat, speaking in broken English, attempts to connect to her granddaughter, the filmmaker tries to bridge the distance between past and present, and portray their shared effort to make sense of the fragmented path to their adopted American homeland.

In English, Farsi, and Azeri with English subtitles

Post-screening audience discussion moderated by PELAN.