Alex Lo is the producer of “Honeyjoon” by Lilian T. Mehrel, a comedy film project included in the Comedy Lab section, born to help develop and produce international comedies. The film is the story of a kurdish-iranian mother and her American daughter making a trip together to Azores Islands, after the passing of the father/husband. This bonding holiday will be the occasion for discovering each other.
A comedy about women empowerment
Alex Lo describes the narrative core of “Honeyjoon” as a film about empowering women and have them find liberation from the restrictions and the restraints that society often impose on them. It can be described as a feminist comedy.
Plot
Kurdish-Iranian Lela and her American daughter June take a trip to the romantic Azores for the first anniversary of their beloved husband/father’s death. June hopes the island will bring them back to life, like it did for herdad. But surrounded by honeymooners, Lela just sinks deeper. June seeks pleasure (despite no privacy.) Lela wakes June up scrolling sad news from Iran, all about Woman Life Freedom (despite covering June’s bikini body
up all day). Thank god their tour guide is hot. But João, a philosophical surfer, is more drawn to Lela’s deep talk than June’s flirting. Lela finds herself coming back to life. And June finds herself alone in the backseat. When Iran news brings Lela down again, June shows her women dancing bravely without veils. Then she discovers Lela’s secret antidepressants – turns out, they were dad’s. He never wanted to talk about his pain, like father, like
daughter. On the anniversary, Lela surprises June by swimming in her underwear. But she still tries to coverJune up. June erupts and they separate. June finally gets her chance for a sexy escape with João. But she ends up releasing all her tears instead, while Lela finds pleasure at the hotel. Turns out feeling alive includes feeling…all of it. Reunited after, they dance for all the women who can’t.