Movie Review: ‘Cast Aside the Clouds’

Cast Aside the Clouds centers on religious persecution in Iran, specifically of the Baha’i – the largest religious minority in the majority-Islam country.

This film’s title was inspired by this excerpt from the poem “This Longing for You” by Tahirih Qurratu’l-‘Ayn:

Cast aside the clouds to show them the sun in its full splendor by removing the veils from the beauty of your face.

The film is set during modern times in Iran’s capital city of Tehran. Layla Khosravi (Parmiss Sehat) and respected surgeon Dr. Sasan Naderi (Behtash Fazlali) start a relationship. Layla practices Baha’i while Sasan is Muslim, so the coming societal conflict is predictable and carries heavy emotional weight. Layla and Sasan keep a low profile while Sasan’s co-worker and former love interest Rashidi (Tara Tedjarati) complicates matters.

Mary Darling (Exemplar) directed the film with co-directors Bre Vader and Felicia Sobhani. This Westwind Pictures and Gravity Breath Pictures production puts the Baha’i faith at center stage.

Darling also teamed with her husband Clark Donnelly to co-write the original screenplay. This hopeful film drew inspiration from the novel Khatute Utab (Utab’s Memories). Persian author Rouhieh Fanaian wrote the novel in the wake of Iran’s 1979 revolution.

Persecution of the Baha’i

For many audiences, this film will educate. Iran’s rulers shut out the Baha’i from work, education, and even their homes. The Baha’i must even endure the destruction of their cemeteries, and encounter the ultimate risk of death for practicing their faith.

24 actor Anthony Azizi portrays Layla’s father Farhad, a Tehran bookstore owner. Shirin Youssefian Maanian portrays Layla’s mother Vida. Layla takes important lessons from them to heart. “When we don’t know things, it creates misunderstanding,” Farhad tells her.

Layla eventually meets Sasan’s mother Hajj (Cybele Hay). Sasan shows great love for his outspoken sister Mina, portrayed by Panta Mosleh who provides great energy and perspective. The talented Mosleh doesn’t play the typical comic-relief family character. Mosleh graduated from the Groundlings School of Comedy in Los Angeles and received the SNL scholarship in 2021.

Sasan’s growing knowledge of Baha’i and the injustices committed against Layla and her family, including by his uncle Reza (Javad Djavahery), increase the dramatic tension and emotional passion. “Your teaching upsets the order of things,” Reza says to Layla’s family as he firmly makes his views known.

The debates start fairly casual, as when Sasan’s family reacts to Reza’s claim that the Baha’i are a “stain on our culture.” Hajj and Mina counter by saying, “We’re talking about people,” and mention their personal experiences of the persecution of children.

Ahmadi, a Baha’i academic and elder portrayed by Vassilis Koukalani, is a key figure. “My faith gives me the power to forgive you,” he says to his oppressors.

The constant, building tension eventually leads to some physical and psychological brutality as characters are brought to their breaking points.

Opposing Beliefs

There are strong beliefs on both sides. This narrative challenges traditions and societal norms as the characters “want to see progress” where people find truth and justice for themselves instead of “following clergy blindly.”

The ruling institutions mention other minority religions (Christians, Jews). But the rulers frequently scrutinize Baha’i as spies seeking to ruin the country. Theological debate becomes the catalyst for conflict as the characters’ struggle for power and spiritual freedom yield real consequences for all involved.

Darvani (Dana Haqjoo) is a chilling interrogator at Evin Prison, another government official who claims Baha’i are pursuing illegal education amidst some “bad timing.”

Novices to the political climate and the context won’t get a deeper experience of what’s occurring in Iran, but the second half of the film is very effective after some slow establishing background sequences with a touch of awkward dialogue (“How is everything going?”) instead of more naturally occurring situations.

In a few sequences, the limited number of people involved feels too controlled and unnatural. More activity, background sound, and minor characters/extras would have alleviated these issues.

Darling (Little Mosque on the Prairie series) and her excellent crew use many techniques. The foreshadowing (e.g. the sequence that occurs about one hour and 18 minutes later), montages (from a low angle, to great effect on a key character), and varying perspectives (e.g. an effective top view shot in a prison when a character returns to their cell) work well.

So does a dual storyline sequence with Sasan making important interactions with two key male characters.

Themes include analogies of spiritual growth with seeds and plants. The filmmakers maintained high safety standards for all involved due to the subject matter’s political sensitivity (e.g. crediting “Original Tehran Footage” to “Anonymous”).

Other subtle touches like two characters reuniting at the end after lifting a store gate between them are touching and very effective. The creative coda (six weeks later) reminds audiences that this persecution still continues, as does the resolve of the Baha’i.

Hybrid Music

The music is subtle and combines Persian classical instruments with minimalist and jazz-inspired arrangements to reflect a bridge across the generations of the characters. Composed by Panos Karananos, this hybrid score reflects the emotional dualities of the film—repression and freedom, fear and faith, fragility and strength—creating a resonant backdrop that deepens the film’s emotional pulse. An original song titled “Cast Aside the Clouds” plays at the start of the end credits.

Cast Aside the Clouds is a stark, hopeful drama that I recommended (three out of four stars) for strong storytelling, unique direction, and well-presented subject matter. The religious prejudice theme amid a budding romance creates a memorable experience that provides real-life insight and awareness.

Premiere U.S. showings of Cast Aside the Clouds begin May 29, 2026 in New York, June 4, 2026 in Los Angeles, and June 19, 2026 in Chicago.