A Good Day Will Come

What will you do if you are a wrestler representing your country for olympic gold but your people are being oppressed by the same country? Amir Zargara's fascinating short asks this same question in 'A Good Day will Come'. Faced with a hard choice that will have significant repercussions on him and his career, wrestler Arash will take a leap of faith and immortalise himself in the annals of history.

From the narrative pacing to the cinematography, everything works perfectly in this fiery tale of defiance. Inspired by true events, the film will inspire you and rally you to action. Sia Alipour and Mehdi Bajestani are perfect as wrestler and coach; while Bajestani advises Arash to keep his eye on the prize, Arash cannot turn away any longer. What follows is a tale of standing up to an empire against all odds. Five out of five from me.

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.

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.

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.

A quietly poignant tale about courage and sacrifice in the face of brutal violence and oppression.

There's quite an interesting parallel to be drawn here between wrestling with a professional opponent and wrestling with your own morality. In both cases, if you're not quick enough, you could lose more than you can imagine. A Good Day Will Come focuses on Arash's internal wrestling match as the injustice in Iran threatens to intensify. When his family becomes affected by the political conflicts, Arash grapples with a certain responsibility to them and to his home country-the same country he proudly represents at sports tournaments.

What does it mean for the protagonist to risk everything as a public figure, dealing with the pressures of the spotlight and the duty to defend his title as a champion? Is a public statement enough to ensure he's done his part and stood his ground? In contrast, what is the risk on a personal level-to honor his dad's legacy and put his own life on the line instead of watching from the benches?

A Good Day Will Come never indulges in any spectacle, nor does it glorify the suffering of the Iranians. Amidst their country's turbulent division and savage attacks on the basic human rights of their people, this short takes an intimate, more contained approach to telling a painful story.

The camera is still. It doesn't intrude, but it lingers, unwavering at every corner, giving us enough time to look at the raw truth in the eye-the bare grief and hopelessness looming over Arash's family and many others like it. There's a sense of bleakness to the cinematography, while the somber score further amplifies the inner dread within the characters, each coping with the situation in their own way. All of those technical elements manage to fill the spaces between the scarce dialogue, working together to create a picture that can resonate with audiences on a broader level. Zargara's film poses questions about showing humanity, empathy, and a willingness to fight for what's right.