Mary Darling’s 'Cast Aside the Clouds' Explores Baha’i Faith and Love

As she puts her Baha’i faith center stage in Cast Aside The Clouds , don’t expect director Mary Darling to be preachy about the Prophet known as The Báb, and his unique take on world unity and peace.

Darling, who co-wrote the Tehran-set romantic thriller along with fellow Baha’i and husband Clark Donnelly, deliberately explores themes of faith, morality and forgiveness through a love story between two young Iranians: Layla (Parmiss Sehat), a Baha’i woman who faces persecution for her faith, and Dr. Sasan Naderi (Behtash Fazlali), a young secular Muslim neurologist who treats a hospitalized Layla, only to fall in love with her.

As she puts her Baha’i faith center stage in Cast Aside The Clouds , don’t expect director Mary Darling to be preachy about the Prophet known as The Báb, and h