'What Will People Say' presents a deeply relatable story of family values

Iram Haq's What Will People Say presents a deeply relatable story of family values at odds with a modern culture

Every year, the Toronto International Film Festival uncovers some hidden gems, small and deserving films that might not otherwise get the kind of exposure and audience that TIFF delivers. What Will People Say, the second feature film directed by Iram Haq, a young Pakistani-Norwegian filmmaker, belonged to that category this year. 

The film, drawn from some of Haq’s own experiences, follows Nisha, a teenage daughter in a Pakistani immigrant family in Norway. Outside her home, Nisha, played by newcomer Maria Mozhdah, is a typical Western teenager, who is shown dancing, smoking, playing sports at school and dating a Norwegian boy.