REFLECTION بازتاب
New York City, New York | Film Short
Horror, Experimental
Reflection reimagines the horror genre through Middle Eastern folklore, exploring isolation and grief. Amid rising political tensions and cultural erasure, preserving these stories feels more vital than ever.
REFLECTION بازتاب
New York City, New York | Film Short
Horror, Experimental
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $12,305 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
40 supporters | followers
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Reflection reimagines the horror genre through Middle Eastern folklore, exploring isolation and grief. Amid rising political tensions and cultural erasure, preserving these stories feels more vital than ever.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
With the increase in political tensions and Middle Eastern erasure in the world, keeping the stories and traditions of these countries is more relevant than ever.
This screenplay adaptation is inspired by the folklore I heard growing up in both my household and in Iran. While I have always enjoyed horror films, I have rarely seen them told through the perspective of an Iranian lens due to the high levels of censorship in my home country.
Oftentimes, the telling of our tales is spread only through word of mouth and passed down from family member to family member. This film intends to bring all of that to the screen whilst doing so in a way that is both visually unique to Iranian cinema as well as expressive to the topic of grief and isolation that is commonly experienced yet overlooked in my culture.
In the remote countryside of Iran, a practicing Middle Eastern witch lives in isolation. Consumed by her loneliness, she turns to witchcraft in a desperate attempt to 'heal' the parts of herself she finds unworthy. But, once her rituals are complete, the witch observes that life is all but better as her own perceptions of reality become distorted as she discovers her space has been infiltrated by an ominous presence. It is only when the woman comes face to face with the presence at her fire pit that she discovers it is a reflection of her own darkness - one that she cannot hide nor run from.
During the 1800s, Iran was under the rule of the Qajar Dynasty and was undergoing extreme political instability. The hardships of the country, both governmentally and economically, resulted in a dramatic and devastating famine and drought.
Folk magic also became prevalent as a result of folk stories as well already having been deeply ingrained in daily life as well as in political contexts. Many turned to it for healing, protection, prophecy, and even political influence. Some looked to these practitioners as positive, while others viewed them with fear. This story seeks to take these forgotten stories and examine them through a lens that has never been seen before.
Our team has been lucky enough to secure some equipment and various resources from New York University, but we still need your help!
That's why we're looking to secure funding for:
Crew Meals & Transportation
Camera, Gear, and Sound Equipment Rentals & Insurance
Securing locations
... and more! Check out our "wishlist" for more details on how your contribution will be use
With deepest gratitude, I would like to extend my thanks to everyone of you for taking time out of your days to show support to our project. It is one that every one of us is deeply passionate about, and to be able to share this feeling with all of you is an incredible experience. We've already set the ball rolling on almost every aspect of the creation of this film and have secured a fantastic crew, location, and schedule that we will abide by; all we need left is a little push to help us go the extra mile. While we are seeking your financial backing, any support we can get, even through word of mouth, would be greatly appreciated as well. To help grow our audience and bring more widespread attention to our film, you can also reach out to us via Instagram (@relfection_.film) and show your support there!
Upon the film's post-production completion, with the goal in mind being the end of June 2026, we will be sharing the film via Vimeo as well as submitting it to a multitude of festivals we would love to meet you all at.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Production Design
Costs $1,500
Allow us to build the world of "Reflection!"
Meals/Crafty
Costs $2,500
Food is essential on set! Your donation will help us keep our cast and crew nourished and energized throughout all production days.
Transportation
Costs $4,000
Help us rent an EQ and crew van to keep our set running smoothly and our production on schedule!
Adobe
Costs $1,000
The Adobe is the heart of this film—your donation will bring it to life!
Cast/Crew Budget
Costs $1,500
Help us compensate certain cast and crew!
Locations
Costs $500
Help us secure our locations for this project!
Lodging
Costs $950
Help us insure our cast/crew have the best accommodations during the shooting of our film!
Insurance
Costs $2,000
Insurance keeps our cast, crew, and equipment safe! With your support you’ll help us secure the coverage we need.
Distribution
Costs $500
Help us cover submission fees and distribution costs!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Reflection is an NYU senior thesis project written and directed by Iranian director Kimia Saifyan and seeks to take the stories of her childhood and put them on the big screen. The project is in collaboration with international festival recognized director of photography Oli Li and producers CJ Martinez, Grace Wong, and Nate Milchan. The crew have worked closely together since then beginning of their attendance at NYU and share commonalities in both values and work ethic along with a mutual respect for one another that has proven successful time and time again.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
With the increase in political tensions and Middle Eastern erasure in the world, keeping the stories and traditions of these countries is more relevant than ever.
This screenplay adaptation is inspired by the folklore I heard growing up in both my household and in Iran. While I have always enjoyed horror films, I have rarely seen them told through the perspective of an Iranian lens due to the high levels of censorship in my home country.
Oftentimes, the telling of our tales is spread only through word of mouth and passed down from family member to family member. This film intends to bring all of that to the screen whilst doing so in a way that is both visually unique to Iranian cinema as well as expressive to the topic of grief and isolation that is commonly experienced yet overlooked in my culture.
In the remote countryside of Iran, a practicing Middle Eastern witch lives in isolation. Consumed by her loneliness, she turns to witchcraft in a desperate attempt to 'heal' the parts of herself she finds unworthy. But, once her rituals are complete, the witch observes that life is all but better as her own perceptions of reality become distorted as she discovers her space has been infiltrated by an ominous presence. It is only when the woman comes face to face with the presence at her fire pit that she discovers it is a reflection of her own darkness - one that she cannot hide nor run from.
During the 1800s, Iran was under the rule of the Qajar Dynasty and was undergoing extreme political instability. The hardships of the country, both governmentally and economically, resulted in a dramatic and devastating famine and drought.
Folk magic also became prevalent as a result of folk stories as well already having been deeply ingrained in daily life as well as in political contexts. Many turned to it for healing, protection, prophecy, and even political influence. Some looked to these practitioners as positive, while others viewed them with fear. This story seeks to take these forgotten stories and examine them through a lens that has never been seen before.
Our team has been lucky enough to secure some equipment and various resources from New York University, but we still need your help!
That's why we're looking to secure funding for:
Crew Meals & Transportation
Camera, Gear, and Sound Equipment Rentals & Insurance
Securing locations
... and more! Check out our "wishlist" for more details on how your contribution will be use
With deepest gratitude, I would like to extend my thanks to everyone of you for taking time out of your days to show support to our project. It is one that every one of us is deeply passionate about, and to be able to share this feeling with all of you is an incredible experience. We've already set the ball rolling on almost every aspect of the creation of this film and have secured a fantastic crew, location, and schedule that we will abide by; all we need left is a little push to help us go the extra mile. While we are seeking your financial backing, any support we can get, even through word of mouth, would be greatly appreciated as well. To help grow our audience and bring more widespread attention to our film, you can also reach out to us via Instagram (@relfection_.film) and show your support there!
Upon the film's post-production completion, with the goal in mind being the end of June 2026, we will be sharing the film via Vimeo as well as submitting it to a multitude of festivals we would love to meet you all at.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Production Design
Costs $1,500
Allow us to build the world of "Reflection!"
Meals/Crafty
Costs $2,500
Food is essential on set! Your donation will help us keep our cast and crew nourished and energized throughout all production days.
Transportation
Costs $4,000
Help us rent an EQ and crew van to keep our set running smoothly and our production on schedule!
Adobe
Costs $1,000
The Adobe is the heart of this film—your donation will bring it to life!
Cast/Crew Budget
Costs $1,500
Help us compensate certain cast and crew!
Locations
Costs $500
Help us secure our locations for this project!
Lodging
Costs $950
Help us insure our cast/crew have the best accommodations during the shooting of our film!
Insurance
Costs $2,000
Insurance keeps our cast, crew, and equipment safe! With your support you’ll help us secure the coverage we need.
Distribution
Costs $500
Help us cover submission fees and distribution costs!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Reflection is an NYU senior thesis project written and directed by Iranian director Kimia Saifyan and seeks to take the stories of her childhood and put them on the big screen. The project is in collaboration with international festival recognized director of photography Oli Li and producers CJ Martinez, Grace Wong, and Nate Milchan. The crew have worked closely together since then beginning of their attendance at NYU and share commonalities in both values and work ethic along with a mutual respect for one another that has proven successful time and time again.