"his father's son" capsule review

By Nadia Dalimonte

From left to right: Alireza Shojaei, Parham Rownaghi, Gus Tayari, and Mitra Lohrasb in His Father's Son (2025)

​Meelad Moaphi’s feature debut His Father’s Son shines as one of the most intriguing stories in this year’s Canadian Film Fest (CFF) lineup. Written and directed by Moaphi, the film explores an Iranian-Canadian family through lived-in character dynamics and layered performances. Struggling chef Amir (Alireza Shojaei) and his seemingly more successful younger brother Mahyar (Parham Rownaghi) face daily expectations from their parents, Farhad (Gus Tayari) and Arezou (Mitra Lohrasb). When the family receive news that an unexpected inheritance has been left to Mahyar, the gift cracks open revelations that will shape the family’s future. The film balances strong portrayals of each character’s perspective and finds strength in establishing how they relate to one another Amir and his father Farhad in particular share an ambiguously tense dynamic. Amir tries to make a name for himself through cooking, which Farhad does not consider a feasible career path. While the film attempts to earn an emotionally satisfying ending using this narrative father + son conflict, Moaphi’s writing lacks the depth and precision to pull it off. Additionally, the female supporting characters are not given much nuance outside of playing “the girlfriend” role. However, compelling performances elevate the material and help craft a memorable story.
 
His Father’s Son premieres on Thursday, March 27 at 6:00 pm and will be preceded by Aisha Evelyna and Natalie Novak Remplakowski’s short film, Nola.
 
Canadian Film Festival (CFF) runs from March 24-29, 2025 at Cineplex’s Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto.