Director Maryam Zaree was born in Iran's notorious torture prison, Evin, shortly after the nation became an Islamic Republic. The daughter of political dissidents, she and her mother fled to Germany as refugees while her father remained imprisoned for several more years. As her curiosity about her early years grew more urgent, the one person able to provide clarity—her mother—stayed silent. Empathetic but entirely unsatisfied, Maryam resigns to look elsewhere, realizing her mother's secret horrors are shared by many. Perhaps there are other women who are finally willing to speak up. But will their experiences provide the answers she's looking for? And is what she's looking for the answer? Born in Evin is an intimate story of a mother-daughter relationship haunted by unspeakable trauma and inescapable memories. And with those responsible for these horrors still in power, Maryam's journey through the past demands diligent attention from the present. Nataleah Hunter-Young

Persister program presented in partnership with OXFAM CANADA.