Eat Your Catfish

This uncompromising portrait of co-director Noah Amir Arjomand’s mother, who has ALS, shows a woman who has chosen to live a challenging life on her terms.

The film’s title is a line spoken by Julia Roberts in August: Osage County. For Kathryn Arjomand, Roberts’ overripe performance is both example and inspiration for her decision to behave how she wants. Having lived with the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, for years, she decides to embrace the life she has left in her own way. It’s a decision that proves difficult for Noah and his father, Kathryn’s husband Saeed. The film frequently adopts Kathryn’s perspective – she is mainly present through a speech-generating device – an approach adds immeasurably to the film’s intimacy, and accentuates Kathryn’s wit, frustrations and affection towards her family.