A Good Day Will Come

With muted tones and heartfelt depth, A Good Day Will Come examines a wrestler emotionally tied to his people's struggles. The film delicately intertwines sport and social narrative, presenting a solemn tale of resilience and hope. It's a quiet but moving portrait of courage. Ome films take their time to build up emotion, but A Good Day Will Come grabs you right away. Arash is a wrestler in Iran, but life outside the ring is intense, as protests and social unrest grow around him. The film doesn't need long explanations-its visuals and soundtrack say it all. Director Amir Zargara captures Arash's story in a hauntingly beautiful way, with each scene shaded in dark, muted tones that reflect his inner struggle. The music, both melancholic and moving, adds to this feeling. Sia Alipour's performance as Arash is quietly powerful. In the wrestling scenes, you can see the conflict he's dealing with; he's there physically but clearly weighed down by everything happening around him. A Good Day Will Come might be short, but it leaves an impression, reminding us of the resilience people find in hard times. Even if you're not into short films, give this one a shot-it's a thoughtful, visually striking piece that speaks to universal themes of hope and determination.

Starring Sia Alipour and Mehdi Bajestani, Amir Zargara's A Good Day will Come finds Arash, a professional wrestler, dreaming of representing his country and winning gold medals. But, his country is in turmoil and its people are suffering and Arash must decide between using his platform to stand up to tyranny, or put his head down and remain silent.

Powerful and moving, Amir Zargara's short film was inspired by the plight of Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari. Zargara chooses to highlight the moral conflict within the protagonist in a number of astute ways, and as the story progresses, we witness Arash slowly and gradually transforming from a meek bystander into something else entirely. The seeds of resistance take root in his mind and we see the wrestler change as a result, both inside and out.

The dark and shadowy cinematography alludes to the hopelessness within the narrative as powerful performances from the cast force you to take notice. Sia Alipour as Arash is a revelation, conveying his internal conflict perfectly while Mehdi Bajestani as his coach is fantastic in his own right. The narrative pacing is on point and the film never manages to drag on, courtesy of its sharp editing.

Inspiring and subliminally powerful in select moments, A Good Day will Come benefits from a poignant and original story that takes inspiration from real world events to say something powerful about the world we live in. While the film will have its share of naysayers, I think it nevertheless manages to get its message across with ease. A win for Amir Zargara, A Good Day will Come soars above the clouds as it celebrates resistance against tyranny and oppression. Four stars out of five.

Amir Zargara's A Good Day will Come asks the pertinent question that is at heart over every revolution; do you have what it takes to rebel against the regime? By framing this question within an aspiring wrestler, Amir Zargara shows the audience how even a tiniest act of resistance echoes forever. As Arash, the wrestler, prepares to take centre stage for his home country, a series of events will force him to do something drastic. The dialogue is minimal as Zargara allows the audience to fill in what he refuses to use overt exposition for. With a grim visual aesthetic and nuanced pacing, the film presents an inspiring message about standing up for what is right, and will leave you moved and inspired long after it ends.

A Good Day Will Come, Ifilmmaker Amir Zargara crafts a striking narrative that blends personal struggle with social awareness. The story centers on Arash, a wrestler whose mind is as entangled in the country's social upheaval as it is on his sport. Played by Sia Alipour, Arash embodies the quiet but powerful emotions of someone who carries the weight of his people's pain, and Alipour's performance is both subtle and deeply moving. The film's color grading, steeped in dark, muted tones, paints the lives of Arash and those around him in shades of grey, visually representing the bleakness of their reality. A haunting, melancholic soundtrack amplifies this atmosphere, making each scene feel emotionally charged. Wrestling scenes are more than just physical displays-they're moments of introspection for Arash, showing that his mind is never fully in the ring but always with the people enduring hardship. Amir Zargara's direction reveals an understanding of both visual and emotional storytelling. Without giving too much away, the film's title, A Good Day Will Come, echoes throughout, as a message of hope that Arash clings to. It's a short but impactful piece, dedicated to the resilience that exists within us all and our quiet faith that one day, peace and justice will prevail.

A crown jewel in Iranian diaspora cinema, A Good Day will Come manages to impress in more ways than one. What begins as a story of a wrestler competing for Olympic gold turns into an act of resistance that will galvanise an entire nation. Taking inspiration from the real life story of Navid Afkari, the film finds its protagonist rising up against a government that has lost the trust of its people. Writer and director Amir Zargara places the moral dilemma front and centre as he shows how such hard choices affect both those who take them and their loved ones. The dim cinematography amplifies the story and the brisk editing keeps us on our toes. Highly recommended.