Foreigner
directed by
Ontario Premiere
Ava Maria Safai
Persian teen Yasamin Karimi is desperate to fit in at her new high school in 2004. When she dyes her hair blonde to blend in, she unknowingly unleashes a demon tied to the parts of herself she’s trying to erase. Blending horror with heart, Foreigner explores the terrifying cost of assimilation and the haunting power of identity denied.
Programmer's Notes
When a Persian teen desperate to fit in at her new high school dyes her hair blonde, she unwittingly unleashes a demon tied to the parts of her identity she yearns to erase.
Set in early 2000s Canada, Yasamin (Rose Dehgan) is an Iranian new to Canada and like any teen going to a new school, she just wants to fit in. So when mean girl Rachel (Chloë Macleod) and her sinister smiling sidekicks take an interest in newcomer Yassmin, all she wants to do is find a way to blend in with the trio and what better way than dyeing her hair blonde? What could go wrong? But for Yasamin this seemingly innocent act, awakens a monstrous force that gets stronger and stronger the more she assimilates.
In Foreigner, Ava Maria Safai crafts a wholly original horror film that plays by its own rules, transcending immigration trauma tropes. Safai directed, wrote, produced, and edited the project. Catch this auspicious debut that world premiered at the prestigious Fantasia International Film Festival before it’s too late.
- Richard Pierre
Cast
Rose Dehgan, Chloë Macleod
About the Director
Ava Maria Safai, a Canadian-Iranian artist and UBC graduate, made her directorial debut with Zip, the first short in Crazy8s history to earn a standing ovation. Zip screened at Academy Award-qualifying festivals, winning Best Short at Chilliwack and honours at Whistler and Blood in the Snow. Her feature debut Foreigner is supported by Telefilm’s Talent to Watch program.