Story

Sufia leaves her home in Illinois and arrives in Philadelphia, PA, hoping to live with her cousin. But Tisha can't house her in the small studio apartment she secretly shares with a partner, and so Sufia must find a place of her own — without money or citizenship. This is where The Difference Between Us begins, as Sufia explores the apartment that she will soon sublet, feeling drawn to an energy (or is it a memory?) inside the place. She is quickly taken with her new roommate, who she hasn't yet met but with whom she communicates via increasingly intimate notes. But it will take reconnecting with a buried past for her to truly find a sense of safety here.

Inspiration

I wrote this film to explore and challenge borders, including those built around race, gender and sexuality. It’s about an undocumented Bangladeshi woman searching for herself while living with the threat of deportation in early 2016, as well as how the stories we are told (or not told) can limit what we imagine for ourselves and others.

When this script was first written — nearly ten years ago — I hadn’t come out as queer and gender nonconforming myself yet. I also knew less about the history of my family and where I come from. And yet I did grow up in Illinois (just like Sufia) and would eventually move to Philadelphia in 2015, rewriting the script again in 2017 in the wake of the U.S. "Muslim Ban." In many ways I have evolved with this story, or maybe it has brought the truth out of me. 

In 2022 the film feels as necessary as ever. I am honored that so many talented people are part of the team and have gotten behind our vision so passionately. And I am beyond thrilled that we're so close to having the resources we need to bring it all together. 

- Imran Siddiquee, Writer/Director 

Approach

Inspired by the work of Mira Nair, Satyajit Ray, Julie Dash, and Wong Kar-Wai, our goal is to make a short that is lyrical, grounded in place, a little surreal, and intentionally non-linear. The people who helped lead the film's production included Producer Tshay, Director of Photography Nausheen Dadabhoy, Production Designer Alexis Thompson, Costume Designer Marcus Branch, Makeup Artist Bianca McFadden, Consulting Producer Maori Karmael Holmes, and many others (check out our Team section!). Memory, desire, trauma, and fantasy play key roles in the story and influenced how we thought about all areas of production, including the performances.

Campaign Goals

In the spring of 2022 we filmed The Difference Between Us over the course of four days and have since put together a rough edit. We are now seeking funding for post-production to complete the project. In particular we would like to hire and pay:

• A Colorist to help create a cohesive visual world. We filmed at four different locations, at various times of the day, inside and outside, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Not every shot happened in the exact way we dreamed of, which means certain scenes are too bright, too dark, or otherwise mismatched. But we have a sense of the color palette and what the world should look like. We'll work with the Colorist to make it work.
• A Sound Editor + Mixer to bring together all the dialogue, voice overs, songs, and effects in a seamless way. The various locations and times of day also impacted the sounds we were able to record (and those we weren't able to avoid), and so there's much to be done to create a realistic, but not distracting soundscape. We will also be including one song for which we will need to purchase usage rights.
• A Composer to complete an original score. 
• An Editor to assist with carving the final version of the film. Though Imran has done a first pass, at this stage it would be useful to have another perspective on the story.
• We also have a short scene which will require Special Effects and hope to bring on a Post-Producer to help manage this entire process.

Our goal is to reach a final edit by January so that we can submit to film festivals in 2023 and bring the film to a wider community soon after. The film will eventually also be available to stream via the Creator+ platform. 

The project has previously been supported by Independence Public Media Fund, Creator+, Sundance Institute, Scribe Video Center, and the Pano Network. Individual supporters have also included Sabrina Mutukisna, Nawshaba Siddiquee, and Melissa Fabello.

Lead Characters

Sufia 

Sufia just decided to leave home for the first time, to escape the pressure she feels to marry, and to follow the yearning she has for more. Though Sufia has spent over fiften years in the Illinois, she is still undocumented, and was hoping to live with her cousin Tisha when she arrived in Philadelphia. 

Played by Samiha Ahmed

Driver 

A mysterious taxi driver who seems to know more about Sufia than they let on. The two begin to develop a friendship.

Played by Iman Carter

Tisha

Tisha lives with a partner her family doesn't know about in a small studio apartment. While she can't house her cousin she is determined to help her find safety — discovering hope for herself in Sufia's journey.

Played by Sita Sarkar

Follow + Share

(L-R) Bianca McFadden, Tanya Dios, Iman Carter, Marcus Branch, and Sita Sarkar on set.

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