THE LIGHTER SIDE
CIRCLE AWARD

The Queen of My Dreams

FAWZIA MIRZA
Canada, Pakistan, 2023
97 minutes, Color

This stylish comedy elegantly blends the retro charm of Bollywood cinema with a contemporary coming-of-age narrative, centering on Azra, a young Canadian-Pakistani woman embracing her queerness amidst familial and cultural expectations. Recognized on the Toronto International Film Festival's annual Canada's Top Ten list for 2023, Fawzia Mirza's feature debut makes a lasting impact, highlighting her prowess as a director to watch. Seamlessly weaving between past and present, the film dives into Azra's journey while humanizing her conservative mother through a vivid depiction of 1960s Karachi, Pakistan. Exploring themes of gender, tradition, and familial bonds, The Queen of My Dreams resonates as Azra confronts her identity against the backdrop of her family's ancestral home. Mirza's adept use of nostalgia as a healing mechanism adds depth to the story, crafting a compelling portrayal of generational struggles and triumphs in the face of tradition and societal norms.—Various sources

In English and Urdu with English subtitles