One cannot not reflect on the current situation of women over anti-hijab protests in Iran while watching Shayda, the devastating feature-film directorial debut of Autralian-Iranian filmmaker Noora Niasari. Her protagonist Shayda, played by Holy Spider’s Zar Amir Ebrahimi, lets go of the headscarf, cuts her hair short and files a divorce from her abusive husband who has threatened her of consequences if she tries to leave her. (Also read: Nocturnal Burger review: A rich, layered snapshot of the cost of liberation) Shayda, which premiered at the World Dramatic Competition category at Sundance Film Festival, is based on Noora’s own childhood. Set in 1995, Shayda begins with its titular protagonist seeking refuge in a women’s shelter with her young daughter Mona (seven-year-old Selina Zahednia). Here she meets the firm and resourceful shelter-director Joyce (Leah Purcell), and the other occupants at the shelter, who are each dealing with some loss. Soon, we will learn that Shayda had moved to Australia with her husband Hossein (Osamah Sami), who then raped her. So, she took her daughter and escaped …