Based on the hit novel by Gulraiz Sharif, Listen Up! is an energetic, relevant, and entertaining comedy about 15-year-old Mahmoud and his journey to help his younger sibling.
Mahmoud grew up in Oslo with Pakistani parents. 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.
When Uncle Ji comes to visit from Pakistan, 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 neighborhood.
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 directorial debut, based on Gulraiz Sharif’s bestselling novel, is a lively family comedy about gender, class, and identity.