Director Iram Haq’s What Will People Say is a clash of wills, cultures and generations. Norwegian teen Nisha (played by promising newcomer Maria Mozhdah) is caught between two worlds. In public, she is a sociable high schooler who appears to have adopted Western values with ease—she flirts, she drinks, she spends time with her friends. But at home, Nisha’s life is that of a traditional Pakistani daughter. While Nisha’s mother is an ever-critical eye, her father holds her on a pedestal. That is, until one night when Nisha sneaks her boyfriend Daniel into her room, where the two are discovered by her father. Her parents fly into a rage, and when the dust clears, Nisha is to be sent to live with her aunt in Pakistan.
Part generational drama and coming-of-age story, What Will People Say traces a young woman’s expression of identity until it slips out of her control.
Director Biography
Iram Haq has worn multiple hats throughout her career—screenwriter, director, and actress to name a few. Her debut feature was I Am Yours (’13) which was first screened at the Toronto Film Festival and later named the official Norwegian entry for the 86th Academy Awards.
Press
"The kinetically shot film brims with authenticity and immediacy and benefits from a deeply sympathetic turn from sublime discovery Maria Mozhdah as the lead." - Variety
Sponsored by:
