Seventeen-year-old Iranian Ava challenges the strict rules of her traditional upbringing and learns that her mother broke the rules as a young woman as well. Ava’s first visit to the gynecologist with her mother is a traumatic experience for the 16-year-old young woman. Trauma gives way to anger when Ava discovers her mother’s dishonesty and learn of the rules she broke, when she was the age Ava is now. Bewildered and enraged, Ava attempts and fails suicide at school. To avoid being expelled, she accepts a deal to snitch on her classmates, but a guilty conscience is a heavy burden. Misunderstood by her parents and tormented by school, Ava decides on a third way forward.

Prismatic is honoured to be presenting Ava, which has won numerous awards at Toronto International Film Festival

(2017) and the Canadian Screen Awards (2018), including best first film and best actress in a supporting role.