Director: Ariane Labed

Cast: Mia Tharia, Pascale Kann, Rakhee Thakrar, Cal O'Driscoll, Niamh Moriarty

September Says is a 2025 European art-house drama directed by Ariane Labed, following two sisters whose claustrophobic bond slowly fractures across an isolated stretch of the Irish coast. Lyrical, unsettling, and intimate, the film studies power, language, and the private world two people build to keep everyone else out.

What is September Says about?

September and July are sisters who have grown up in a world of their own making — a shared vocabulary, shared rituals, and an unspoken agreement that outsiders do not belong. When September's behaviour at school forces their mother to remove them from the city and relocate to a secluded house on the Irish coast, the geography changes but the dynamic does not. Far from the distractions of ordinary life, July begins to feel the weight of her sister's dominance pressing harder than ever before. Small acts of resistance surface — and September, sensitive to any shift in loyalty, responds with mounting pressure. The film observes this unravelling with patience and precision, refusing easy explanations for how love between two people can also function as a trap.

Cast & crew

The film marks the feature debut of Greek-French actress and filmmaker Ariane Labed, known internationally for her performance work, here stepping fully into the director's chair. Mia Tharia and Pascale Kann carry the film almost entirely between them, and both deliver performances of striking physical and emotional restraint. Supporting turns from Rakhee Thakrar and Cal O'Driscoll round out the small ensemble.

Context & significance

For Persian-speaking viewers in the diaspora, September Says offers something quietly resonant: the experience of living inside a closed system — a private language, a tight family unit, a world that demands you choose between belonging and freedom. Iranian audiences who grew up navigating the tension between the individual and the collective will find the film's emotional logic familiar even across cultural distance. The film is available on K-Time with Persian dubbing, making its nuanced dialogue fully accessible without losing the rhythm of its performances. A co-production spanning Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France, it reflects the kind of transnational European cinema that travels well to diaspora audiences looking for serious, thoughtful drama.

Where & how to watch

September Says is available on K-Time with Persian dubbing and Persian subtitles. Watch on your browser, TV, or phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, no extra download required. Start a subscription and cancel anytime.