Mina Shafiei

LARISSA tells the story of a young Afghan refugee girl sold—along with her family—to a powerful landowner, Davood Kan, in Iran. Forced into backbreaking work alongside dozens of undocumented migrants, Larissa’s intelligence and beauty draw the landowner’s attention. Pulled from the fields, she is promised protection and privilege — but at a devastating cost. When she resists his escalating abuse, the illusion of safety shatters. What begins as a quiet attempt to endure becomes a perilous struggle for dignity. Told through a raw and intimate lens, LARISSA is not just the story of one girl but a reflection of countless hidden lives. It confronts the exploitation, silence, and systemic violence faced by Afghan refugees in Iran and other countries, while honoring the resilience of those who refuse to be erased.

A female university student arrives late at night at her dormitory and finds herself locked out. She is forced to make her way across the city to her aunt's house, where she encounters a mysterious man along the way.