Wasabi
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama
Following the death of her husband, a pregnant Senegalese writer moves in with her estranged Japanese mother-in-law, forcing them to confront their painful pasts and brewing tensions.
Wasabi
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $15,535 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
43 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Following the death of her husband, a pregnant Senegalese writer moves in with her estranged Japanese mother-in-law, forcing them to confront their painful pasts and brewing tensions.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
When Faridah finds out she’s pregnant with her late husband Charlie's child, she hesitantly moves in with her estranged mother-in-law Julliet. As Faridah strives to publish her book about Charlie, Julliet proves difficult. Faridah and Julliet’s relationship is tested as they collectively mourn Charlie and anticipate the birth of a new child. Will they find common ground before the baby is born or will their strained relationship stand in the way? This is a story about love, loss and family.
Loosely based on my aunt's turbulent relationship with her mother-in-law, I wanted to explore the complexities of multi-cultural relationships and how they could either tear apart or bring people together. In my aunt's case, even after her husband passed away, there was no sense of reconciliation between her and her mother-in-law. As a young woman from Nigeria, I experienced a massive culture shock after moving to Los Angeles. While I truly missed home, I began to embrace what a new environment could offer me. The most important aspect of all has been the opportunity to immerse myself with a versatile group of people and their respective cultures. It became clear that other young adults, particularly women, are eager to share their voices within the realm of global cinema. By writing the characters of Faridah and Julliet into existence, I began a journey of examining what would happen if two vastly different individuals were forced to interact for the sake of family. By representing often overlooked countries such as Senegal and Japan, Wasabi dives into how uncomfortably human nature unfolds in a compact, domestic setting. I aim to portray the grief between my aunt and her mother-in-law, and authentically capture their feelings during that period.
Faridah (32)
Grief clings to Faridah like carelessly spilled ink across the pages of her life, staining everything she touched and leaving behind a permanent mark. She apologizes for things that aren’t her fault, as if carrying the weight of others’ pain might somehow lighten her own. Charlie’s absence is a silence that screams louder than any word she could write–a quiet ache that refuses to be filled. In the process of holding on to his memory, she has lost sight of herself…a woman lost in someone else’s story, unsure of where she ends and where he begins.
Julliet (66)
Julliet has built walls around her heart for years, to the point that she has forgotten what it feels like to love freely. Charlie’s death has left a profound wound in her soul that seems impossible to heal. Julliet’s relationship with Faridah and the prospect of a grandchild causes her to reexamine her cold approach to life and wonder if softness is what she has been missing all along.
Follow our campaign page
- Seed & Spark rewards us for building our audience. The more followers we get, the more prizes we unlock for our film--products, services, and festival fee waivers, courtesy of Seed & Spark!
Contribute with a pledge
- We have to collect 80% of our crowdfunding goal to keep our funds. You can choose an incentive, a specific wishlist item, or fit your pledge to your specific budget. No pledge is too small. Every dollar makes a difference in making our film possible.
Lend or donate: gear, props, food, locations
- Want an alternative to a monetary pledge? Check out our wishlist! We can offer credit and/or advertising. Feel free to make a loan request in our Wishlist tab or email us at [email protected] with "WASABI WISHLIST" in the subject line.
Share the word with your community
- The only way we will reach our crowdfunding goal is if we reach beyond our networks. Please share our campaign via your social media, email, word-of-mouth, however you want! We can't do this without you!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Transportation
Costs $500
Sometimes our crew members and/or talent need assistance to get to set. Help them get to the location(s) safely!
Crew Meals + Crafty (On Set & Post)
Costs $1,500
The key to healthy morale is to nourish the incredible artists that we work alongside everyday. Your generosity is highly valued.
Editing Hard Drives
Costs $920
This hardware allows our picture editors to remain mobile, safely store, and actively work on the film over the course of post production.
Art Department & Props
Costs $1,000
Our production design team needs your assistance to shape and craft the world of Wasabi.
Locations & Permits
Costs $6,000
Shooting in LA is immensely expensive. In order to secure a safe & beautiful location for a period of six days, we need your help!
Camera & Lighting Equipment
Costs $1,480
Camera rentals, accessories, and electric equipment allows for more professional and gorgeous visuals. Your contribution lights the way!
Costumes
Costs $1,000
Our goal is to customize authentic Senegalese outfits with sourced fabric. We want to stitch our clothes with love.
Make-Up & Hairdressing
Costs $1,000
We value our MUA & hairdresser's commitment to keeping our actors true to their characters, particularly Faridah.
Insurance
Costs $800
It's incredibly important that our production remains completely insured at all times!
Partial Contingency Costs
Costs $800
In the event of unforeseen circumstances, we believe it's important to always be prepared for additional costs. You can help us stay ready!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Uhoman Moltok (Writer & Director) is a northern Nigerian filmmaker drawn to stories for and about women. Her films explore simple moments that carry heavy emotional undertones. Inspired by the likes of Ousmane Sembene and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Uhoman hopes to bring the stories of African women to the forefront in media. She is currently a 3rd year graduate student at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, expanding her emphasis in writing, editing, and directing.
Stephanie Peraza (Producer) is a third-year graduate student studying Film and Television Production at USC's School of Cinematic Arts. Being the first generation daughter of Nicaragüense and Salvadoran immigrants, Stephanie is committed to uplifting the film community by developing multi-faceted stories about women and people of color. As a writer and director, Stephanie is drawn to provocative, taboo stories that emotionally and visually resonate with audiences. She recently wrote and directed a supernatural horror, Bonnie Mae's Blues (2023) and produced a Latino-based short documentary titled La Línea (2024).
Chae Talley (Producer) is a New York native writer-director and producer. Chae made his directorial debut in 2021 with the premiere of his short film, Goodbye to Yesterday, which went on to receive 53 awards during its festival run. He continues to produce and direct his own projects on the side while pursuing his MFA at USC's School of Cinematic Arts.
Ana Flávia Veiga (Producer) is a fourth-year BFA in Film and Television Production student at USC from Brazil. Ana is driven by passion to democratize access to filmmaking and storytelling, aiming to break barriers and bring compelling narrative to audiences worldwide. Most recently, she produced Sueños Violentos which was selected for the Oscar-qualifying LA Shorts, and Palmas, a USC MFA capstone documentary selected for the Oscar-qualifying AmDocs. She has interned at studios such as Paramount, Fox, Atlas Entertainment, and Mandalay Pictures. Specializing in crafting provoking, multi-cultural, genre movies, she aims to share untold stories that will universally resonate with viewers.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
When Faridah finds out she’s pregnant with her late husband Charlie's child, she hesitantly moves in with her estranged mother-in-law Julliet. As Faridah strives to publish her book about Charlie, Julliet proves difficult. Faridah and Julliet’s relationship is tested as they collectively mourn Charlie and anticipate the birth of a new child. Will they find common ground before the baby is born or will their strained relationship stand in the way? This is a story about love, loss and family.
Loosely based on my aunt's turbulent relationship with her mother-in-law, I wanted to explore the complexities of multi-cultural relationships and how they could either tear apart or bring people together. In my aunt's case, even after her husband passed away, there was no sense of reconciliation between her and her mother-in-law. As a young woman from Nigeria, I experienced a massive culture shock after moving to Los Angeles. While I truly missed home, I began to embrace what a new environment could offer me. The most important aspect of all has been the opportunity to immerse myself with a versatile group of people and their respective cultures. It became clear that other young adults, particularly women, are eager to share their voices within the realm of global cinema. By writing the characters of Faridah and Julliet into existence, I began a journey of examining what would happen if two vastly different individuals were forced to interact for the sake of family. By representing often overlooked countries such as Senegal and Japan, Wasabi dives into how uncomfortably human nature unfolds in a compact, domestic setting. I aim to portray the grief between my aunt and her mother-in-law, and authentically capture their feelings during that period.
Faridah (32)
Grief clings to Faridah like carelessly spilled ink across the pages of her life, staining everything she touched and leaving behind a permanent mark. She apologizes for things that aren’t her fault, as if carrying the weight of others’ pain might somehow lighten her own. Charlie’s absence is a silence that screams louder than any word she could write–a quiet ache that refuses to be filled. In the process of holding on to his memory, she has lost sight of herself…a woman lost in someone else’s story, unsure of where she ends and where he begins.
Julliet (66)
Julliet has built walls around her heart for years, to the point that she has forgotten what it feels like to love freely. Charlie’s death has left a profound wound in her soul that seems impossible to heal. Julliet’s relationship with Faridah and the prospect of a grandchild causes her to reexamine her cold approach to life and wonder if softness is what she has been missing all along.
Follow our campaign page
- Seed & Spark rewards us for building our audience. The more followers we get, the more prizes we unlock for our film--products, services, and festival fee waivers, courtesy of Seed & Spark!
Contribute with a pledge
- We have to collect 80% of our crowdfunding goal to keep our funds. You can choose an incentive, a specific wishlist item, or fit your pledge to your specific budget. No pledge is too small. Every dollar makes a difference in making our film possible.
Lend or donate: gear, props, food, locations
- Want an alternative to a monetary pledge? Check out our wishlist! We can offer credit and/or advertising. Feel free to make a loan request in our Wishlist tab or email us at [email protected] with "WASABI WISHLIST" in the subject line.
Share the word with your community
- The only way we will reach our crowdfunding goal is if we reach beyond our networks. Please share our campaign via your social media, email, word-of-mouth, however you want! We can't do this without you!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Transportation
Costs $500
Sometimes our crew members and/or talent need assistance to get to set. Help them get to the location(s) safely!
Crew Meals + Crafty (On Set & Post)
Costs $1,500
The key to healthy morale is to nourish the incredible artists that we work alongside everyday. Your generosity is highly valued.
Editing Hard Drives
Costs $920
This hardware allows our picture editors to remain mobile, safely store, and actively work on the film over the course of post production.
Art Department & Props
Costs $1,000
Our production design team needs your assistance to shape and craft the world of Wasabi.
Locations & Permits
Costs $6,000
Shooting in LA is immensely expensive. In order to secure a safe & beautiful location for a period of six days, we need your help!
Camera & Lighting Equipment
Costs $1,480
Camera rentals, accessories, and electric equipment allows for more professional and gorgeous visuals. Your contribution lights the way!
Costumes
Costs $1,000
Our goal is to customize authentic Senegalese outfits with sourced fabric. We want to stitch our clothes with love.
Make-Up & Hairdressing
Costs $1,000
We value our MUA & hairdresser's commitment to keeping our actors true to their characters, particularly Faridah.
Insurance
Costs $800
It's incredibly important that our production remains completely insured at all times!
Partial Contingency Costs
Costs $800
In the event of unforeseen circumstances, we believe it's important to always be prepared for additional costs. You can help us stay ready!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Uhoman Moltok (Writer & Director) is a northern Nigerian filmmaker drawn to stories for and about women. Her films explore simple moments that carry heavy emotional undertones. Inspired by the likes of Ousmane Sembene and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Uhoman hopes to bring the stories of African women to the forefront in media. She is currently a 3rd year graduate student at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, expanding her emphasis in writing, editing, and directing.
Stephanie Peraza (Producer) is a third-year graduate student studying Film and Television Production at USC's School of Cinematic Arts. Being the first generation daughter of Nicaragüense and Salvadoran immigrants, Stephanie is committed to uplifting the film community by developing multi-faceted stories about women and people of color. As a writer and director, Stephanie is drawn to provocative, taboo stories that emotionally and visually resonate with audiences. She recently wrote and directed a supernatural horror, Bonnie Mae's Blues (2023) and produced a Latino-based short documentary titled La Línea (2024).
Chae Talley (Producer) is a New York native writer-director and producer. Chae made his directorial debut in 2021 with the premiere of his short film, Goodbye to Yesterday, which went on to receive 53 awards during its festival run. He continues to produce and direct his own projects on the side while pursuing his MFA at USC's School of Cinematic Arts.
Ana Flávia Veiga (Producer) is a fourth-year BFA in Film and Television Production student at USC from Brazil. Ana is driven by passion to democratize access to filmmaking and storytelling, aiming to break barriers and bring compelling narrative to audiences worldwide. Most recently, she produced Sueños Violentos which was selected for the Oscar-qualifying LA Shorts, and Palmas, a USC MFA capstone documentary selected for the Oscar-qualifying AmDocs. She has interned at studios such as Paramount, Fox, Atlas Entertainment, and Mandalay Pictures. Specializing in crafting provoking, multi-cultural, genre movies, she aims to share untold stories that will universally resonate with viewers.