Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 3-4 at 3 p.m.—WOODSTOCK — Join young Vermont filmmaker Sierra Urichas she explores her identity by uncovering the lived experiences of her Iranian-born mother and grandmother in the film “Joonam.”
The 2023 documentary is screening at Billings Farm & Museum, now in its 41st season, on Saturday, Feb. 3-Sunday Feb. 4 at 3 p.m. as part of the Woodstock Vermont Film Series. Following Saturday’s screening, there will be a Q&A with the filmmaker .
Urich was recently honored in Doc NYC’s 2023 40 Under 40 list and is currently nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.
“Joonam,” Urich’s first feature film, premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. At the core of this film is warmth and good humor, echoing the family dynamics that form the backdrop of the story. The title itself, a Farsi term of endearment, sets the tone for the film and invites the audience to share in Urich’s personal quest to make sense of her fractured Iranian identity.
Growing up in rural Vermont, far removed from Iran, she navigates barriers of language, culture, and geopolitical conflict to construct a moving portrait of the women in her family. In the film, Urich reflects on her own childhood experiences and explores the challenges of being separated from her roots.
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Urich’s mother left Iran for college in the United States, just before the Islamic revolution. Urich’s grandmother experienced tumult and loss in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution, with her family scattered and her children emigrating to the United States. It was 16 years before she reunited with them. Without the opportunity to visit Iran herself, Urich pieces together a picture of Iran using grainy home videos, archival flashes of historical protests, FaceTime tours of central Tehran, and TikTok videos from a younger generation of Iranians.
“Joonam,” attempts to bridge the understanding between first and second-generation immigrants, exploring both nostalgia and trauma from her family’s story,
PBS has commented that “This film at its heart is really about loss of home and how that experience is different for each generation.””Joonam” has been described by Indiewire as “A touching look at intergenerational immigrant identity,” and “A blazingly original form of personal expression.” By The Moveable Feast.
Following Saturday’s screening, there will be a discussion with director Sierra Urich, facilitated by Film Series curator, Jay Craven. Film tickets are $15 for all screenings, and $12 for Billings Farm & Museum members. For tickets and more information, visit billingsfarm.org/filmseries/ or call 802-457-5303 Monday –Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
