Streaming April 28-May 1st, 2023
On Filmocracy
THE RETURN
US I India I 18 mins I Docu-Hyrbid I 2021 I English, Urdu
w/ English subtitles
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Official Selection of DOCNYC, CAAM Fest, IFFLA, Dharamshala IFF
'Grand Jury Award' - Seattle Asian American Film Festival
A writer-director struggles with her profound sense of loss after the sudden death of her father, who dies while visiting his homeland of India. Hena wrestles with coming to terms with their strained relationship the only way she knows how: making a film.
About the Artist
Hena Ashraf is a writer-director who creates character-based multi-layered narratives, showing how truly connected we all are with the specific being universal, focusing primarily on stories about migrants and migrant life, as migration is such a common, while disruptive, experience.
Born in London to Bihari Muslim working-class parents from India, she spent her early years in the United Kingdom before immigrating to America.
Hena’s work has been supported by the Brooklyn Arts Council, Tribeca Film Institute, the Islamic Scholarship Fund, the Norris Foundation, BAFTA Los Angeles, MPAA, Wasserman, the Adrienne Shelly Foundation, an ISF National Film Grant, Telluride FilmLAB, the Caucus Foundation, Tasveer Film Fund, and more.
Her films have screened at Outfest, Dharamshala, DOC NYC, and dozens of more festivals. Hena has an MFA in Film Directing from UCLA and is based in Los Angeles.
Trailer
Credits
Writer/Director: Hena Ashraf
Producer(s): Kajri Akhtar
Hena Ashraf
Mo Hussain
Tejas Karguppikar
Yugandhara Muthukrishnan
Linda Nhem
Christelle Zeinoun
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Film Editor(s): Georgia Fu
Esther Shubinski
Hena Ashraf
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Featured Cast: Roshni Shukla
Shurud Shanto
Aishveryaa Nidhi
Ahana Paul
Shrey Tomar
Amartya Paul
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Art Director: Denver Kotian​
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Costume Designer: Keelin Quigley
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Make-Up: Oasis Nguyen