Inspired by the Ones I love.

What started out as a writing exercise two summers ago has since transformed into a story I deeply wish to share with the world. After studying Film & TV at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts for over three years, I have begun finding my voice as a filmmaker: telling grounded narratives that explore the meaning of family and love through a South Asian lens. With your help, I wish to bring this beautiful exploration of parental love, technology, miscommunication, and languages to life – not for myself, but for anyone who understands the power of unspoken love.

Following the journey of Amma, the story begins with her preparation for her son's arrival after years of separation due to immigration and financial issues. As Amma lived in Pakistan, her son grew up in the United States with his father. However, upon her son Ahmed's arrival, she realizes that any Pakistani identity he once had has been abandoned in favor of American culture and the English language.

In her desperate attempts to connect with Ahmed, using food and old drawings and VHS tapes, she sends her son into a visceral backlash, revealing his reasons to leave his culture behind and, in the process, leaves her alone once again.

In her final efforts to reconnect with her son, she discovers what it means to truly support her son and communicate her love.

Whether you're a child of immigrants, speak English as a second language, or simply express yourself to your family, this quiet rumination on the meaning of language and culture will resonate with anyone who will watch it.

Amma

As most strong-willed immigrant mothers tend to be, this Pakistani transplant keeps a broad collection of artifacts, memories, clothes, and what others might call "junk" in the same cramped apartment she cooks her meals, watches her TV dramas, and practices English on her phone.

Ahmed

After years growing up in the States, this first-generation immigrant has lost all connection with his South Asian heritage and language in favor of a hardened exterior focused on getting a job and moving out of his parents' dusty apartment.

memories

With Amma's boxes of old memories lying around the apartment, the film strives to explore how memories can define a relationship from entirely different perspectives as one tries to forget the past and the other desperately tries to hold onto it.

technology

As Ahmed uses his phone to translate his mother's words and Amma uses her phone to learn what the world around her says, the story features technology – in both its modern glory and obsolete age – as a way to communicate but also hinder true meaning.

language

Unable to converse with one another through the spoken word, the two characters highlight how the language of love, and everything lost in translation that comes with it, comes in many different verbal and silent forms.

Why film?

From the very moment the first scene was written down, 16mm had to be an essential part of the filmmaking process. In a story defined by its explorations of memories and technology, film acts as a tangible medium for depicting Amma's gravitation to the forgotten past as Ahmed tries to move on.

Much like the imperfections of Amma and Ahmed, 16mm film is not without its own imperfections. Grain and dust marks may be inevitable, but those kinds of imperfections are what give the medium its unmistakable character. With such thematic relevance to the story's characters and plot, it would quite simply be a mistake not to shoot on film.

With shoot dates planned for March 14-17, here is exactly what our campaign needs to bring the film to life:

Fundraising can be a long and arduous process. However, with the help of you or anyone else you may know, it can just be another step in the journey to assembling a beautifully crafted short film. If any part of the story, characters, or thematic explorations resonates with you, our production would be honored to accept anything you would be gracious enough to donate.

A look at how our $15K budget will be used:

After months of research into the production process, our lead producer Hanna Dzaferovic has assembled the appropriate numbers to make a Pakistani immigrant's apartment appear and feel authentic, a scene to look beautiful, and a crew to be well fed for their hard work.

Outside of monetary donations, the very best way to help is simply by sharing the link to this very campaign.

Reaching immigrants, mothers, children, and anyone else who might be interested in this story, we hope to share the film outside of our immediate circles. Through Whatsapp, social media, and word-of-mouth, this campaign can reach all those who hope to see it come to life as much as we do.

When my mother first came to America, she found herself culturally and emotionally isolated in one of the biggest cities in the world. While my father worked for most of the day, she found ways to express herself through art, caretaking, and exploration while everything she once called home remained in Pakistan. Now, as her son, and an aspiring filmmaker, I hope to encapsulate that sense of alienation with the world around us, all while exploring the trials and tribulations that face any parent-child relationship – especially a mother and son.

Thank you so much for reading this far. From both myself and the team that will make this film a reality, thank you for contribute to our campaign in any way possible. Whether it be donating a small amount or sharing our campaign in a Whatsapp group, this film can use every ounce of support it can earn. I'm incredibly lucky to get started on production, and I'm even more excited to one day present the final film to everyone who helped bring it to life.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to [email protected].