Listen Up!

For Mahmoud, it’s normal for women to sunbathe or people to have fun around the lake. He grew up in Oslo with Pakistani parents. What he’s worried about is spending the summer without a penny in his pocket. Who’s going to hire somebody with a Muslim name for the summer? And there’s zero chance of vacation. His father drives a taxi day and night and still the family barely gets by. But then Uncle Ji comes to visit from Pakistan and Mahmoud is tasked with keeping him busy and making sure he doesn’t find anything to complain about. Ji is fascinated by the clean streets and fancy apartments, although Mahmoud’s family hardly lives in a posh neighbourhood. But when Mahmoud’s little brother Ali confides a secret, a carefully constructed web begins to unravel. The family is confronted with old wounds and new challenges. Kaveh Tehrani’s debut, based on Gulraiz Sharif’s bestselling novel, is a turbulent family comedy about gender, class, and identity.