The Queen of My Dreams

Fawzia Mirza’s The Queen of my Dreams is one of those successfully emotional movies that utilizes a very personal story to invite its audience to a different time, place and lived experience.

In 1999, Azra is studying for her MFA and living with her girlfriend. She is estranged from her mother, Mariam who disapproves of many of Azra’s choices as she sees them as inappropriate for a young Muslim woman, let alone her own daughter. But a family tragedy brings Azra and Mariam back together in Karachi, Pakistan. The place where in 1969, Mariam was the young, rebellious daughter who falls in love and dreams of leaving Pakistan despite her mother’s wishes. Finally, in 1989, we see a younger Azra and Miriam in small town Nova Scotia as we see some of the events that caused the divide between mother and daughter.

Amrit Kaur plays both Azra and young Miriam. Kaur easily rises to the occasion of playing two characters who are sometimes at odds. This double casting really helps to tell this story about similarities and differences between a mother and daughter. As young women, they’re so similar. But as Mariam ages enough to be played by another actress, the distance begins to set in. Azra and Mariam find themselves on very different life trajectories. And the final flashback to 1989 in one scene shows how a decade of distance has grown between the two. The addition of Mariam’s mother, who in 1999 (understandably) mistakes Azra for her own daughter adds another generation to this story. The Queen of My Dreams really demonstrates how much we take from our own parents and either continue or break the tradition when applying it to our own children.

My largest complaint is that The Queen of My Dreams could’ve been longer. Or at least, had more of a third act emotional conclusion. The film ends with Azra and Mariam on a potential path to reconnection. But there are lots of discussions to be had and things to be revealed. The film doesn’t cover Azra coming out to her mother, for example. Nor does it showing Azra’s growth and understanding regarding her mother amount to an actual conversation. Especially because Fawzia Mirza is so good at writing the dramatic scenes this movie does have, I would’ve liked to see some additional dramatic scenes at the end of the film.

Not only is The Queen of my Dreams good, but it’s the even rarer good dramedy. The film has many genuinely funny moments, many of which also allow insight into the characters. It also deals with heavy topics and tragedy and is moving in such moments. The film manages to find balance between drama and comedy, sometimes having scenes be wholly dramatic or wholly comedic and sometimes having scenes start as one and end as the other. To me, this balance feels like real life; an unpredictable series of moments of joy, sadness, laughter and love. 

Overall rating: 7.3/10

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