Babak Lotfi Khajehpasha’s feature debut In the Arms of the Tree begins with Kimia and Farid, a couple married for twelve years, facing the prospect of divorce. The rift over separation and custody spreads into the world of their two children, shaking the entire family and filling the rhythm of daily life with unease and silence. Rather than relying on dramatic turns of plot, the film carefully observes the couple’s conversations, the children’s gaze upon their parents, and the emotions that emerge from ruptures in everyday life. Through restrained direction and cinematography, Khajehpasha explores both the collapse and the resilience of family, while reflecting the sentiments faced by today’s younger generation in Iran. In the Arms of the Tree reconsiders the “portrait of the family” in Iranian society with a new sensibility and language.