Ziba is an ambitious and brainy young Londoner. Proud of her Iranian heritage, she is conscientious and sensible but also indulges in a certain romantic nihilism. Perhaps this is because of her passion for astronomy, or perhaps because she longs for happier times. Although she is the only member of her close-knit friendship group to attain good results in the end-of-school exams, she is struggling to remain optimistic.
She and her friends want to spend the day together in the hot summer London and witness a unique celestial event. Secretly, Ziba is planning an irreversible step that – in her mind – will give her back control over her life. Caught between a deep passion for being alive and an overwhelming desire to end the pain and fear of her current reality, Ziba must learn to let go of her adolescent dreams and cope with uncertainty.
Deba Hekmat is a revelation in this impressively introspective coming-of-age character study, balancing the fizzing energy of youth with the harsh realities of the cards with which we are dealt, marking the confident, authentic directorial debut of one-to-watch Sasha Nathwani.