The Queen of My Dreams

Set in Canada, from the opening scene what will hit is the colour palette. A riot of colours turned up to the max it’s a delight to behold. In the midst of this Azra (Amrit Kaur) is living with her partner Rachel (Kya Mosey) and they are about to watch an old Pakistani film that has been passed down from her mother Mariam (Nimra Bucha).

Mariam herself calls Azra as she and her father Hassam (Hamza Haq) are off to Pakistan. A squabble ensues.
The next call Azra receives is the terrible news that her father has died, and she must travel to Karachi, Pakistan for the funeral. A portent of some the film’s issues is when Azra is refused alcohol on the plane; Pakistan is a Muslim country she is told.

Picked up at the airport she and her brother are reunited with their mother. Azra’s culture shock is palpable reinforced when her mother tersely tells her to change her clothes.

The film still bathing in glorious colours switches to 1969 Karachi and a young Mariam (also played by Kaur) and what appears to be a more liberal culture of alcohol, parties, and dating. There’s a growing love between Hassan and Mariam, their ambitions balanced with the respect due to their families and traditions.

The film then takes a step into Azra’s adolescence in Nova Scotia, Canada. Young Azra played by Ayana Manji adjusts to a new school, the people, other religions and cultures, and her sexuality.

Written and directed by Fawiza Mirza, its semi-autobiographical built on personal experiences. Its beautifully composed with each aspect of Mariam and Azra’s younger selves interspersing, building their characters, without jarring the film.

What emerges is a complex relationship between mothers and daughters, across the generations. While all having some degree of success, they at times feel badly let down by their daughters, possibly resentful and forcing them to question their own roles as mothers.

This arises when Mariam doesn’t tell her mother that she is moving to Canada with Hassan. Then her own disappointment with Azra, who is a lesbian and questions the traditional male orientated funeral rites that prevent her attending her father’s funeral.

Folded in with these personal issues is correlated insight into some aspects of Karachi society. Here too challenging tradition and boundaries when Azra, and others decide on a night out fuelled on (presumably) illicit booze supplied by local dealers.

The cast are excellent making the best of a sharp script which deftly balances comedy and tragedy as well as making more pointed observations about some aspect’s of faith and tradition.

The Queen of my Dreams will be in UK cinemas from 13 September 2024.