EARLIER this week we saw Disney+ Hotstar finally made itself available nationwide. And with it comes the much-anticipated Disney Launchpad, a collection of short films led by a diverse group of talented filmmakers.
Season one carries the theme ‘discover’ where the directors gave the audience a reflection of what it meant through their interpretation.
The result is a series of personal stories that sit well with the viewership that expands across various communities and commands inclusivity.
One of which is ‘American Eid’ that centres on a young Muslim Pakistani girl named Ameena.
[Spoiler alert] The premise mainly touches on how she navigates her way through her first Eid celebrations in a foreign land. It is a setting that is not similar to the traditions she grew up with after her family relocated.
Heartbroken and puzzled that she still had to attend school on the first day where normally people would enjoy the festivities, she goes on an innocently ambitious mission to make it a public school holiday.
However, the true goal, which the audience will come to realise, is for Ameena to reconnect with her older sister as she embraces her new home.
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Written and directed by Aqsa Altaf, The Vibes spoke with its Los Angeles–based filmmaker to get a deeper understanding of the storyline behind the short film she was allowed to create.
Joining Aqsa in the conversation is Emmy-nominated composer Siddhartha Khosla, who composed the original score for her project, as well as for other already known American TV series such as ‘This Is Us’.
The Vibes: Thanks for allowing us to share this moment with you guys and congratulations on the short film! Aqsa, would you be able to share with our readers the reasoning behind the storyline that you wrote?
Aqsa Altaf: For me, growing up I did not see myself, as a South Asian Muslim girl, being represented on the screen. When looking at it in retrospect, I internalised a lot of ‘Oh, maybe I was not cool or important enough. The idea of big dreams and concepts of freedom is also predominantly geared towards one side of the world.
Even if there is a portrayal of a South Asian or Muslim person, the things that I saw were very filtered towards the western lens, which created a misguided façade of who we are. This, of course, started after 9/11.
I felt like a story of this kind ('American Eid') is important to crack the imagery created by the western view. Every story that we can tell just humanises us more and showcases the dimensionality of our culture/religion better.
Of course, one film is not going to be enough, but we just need to keep on cracking the stereotype.
When I first immigrated to America, I was alone and without family members by my side. I did not have a community, and Eid celebrations (being something that I always count down the days to) was non-existent.
After making this film everybody internally became more aware of it – I even received messages from the Disney family, which was something very valuable. Suddenly, it just feels like home.
TV: Was it hard to interpret the story from script to scene?
AA: I think the challenge was showcasing the internal emotions of what Eid means to Ameena. For instance, even if she says it multiple times in the film, translating it across in the visuals is hard.
That is why when we were scoring this, it was very important for us to capture the magic of the moments in the story to support it. Without it, the film would probably not be as believable. But I am going to let Siddhartha talk about it more since my music language is so limited.
TV: So, how do you match the scores to the scene(s) and how important is it that you do it right?
Siddhartha Khosla: When I am composing music for something deeply personal such as this, I think it is important to get inside the creator’s head and try to understand their soul a little bit.
Aqsa and I had an introductory conversation about who we are prior. We got to know each other’s life stories, and I get so much just from building that connection. It allowed me to go deeper and put myself into the characters’ headspace a little bit.
So, apart from obviously trying to portray the emotional weight of the characters on film, I worked at giving justice to Aqsa’s story too. This is why I am so grateful for this collaboration with her.
I am a child of immigrants; my parents came here from India in the late 70s and although our experiences had their differences, there were similarities in the struggles for us as kids. I love watching television and every time I see a person with brown skin, it’s either he/she is running 7-Eleven or involved in some terrorist activity.
I think I gravitate towards stories such as this because I see a part of me inside of it. So, it was very easy to bring myself to work on the project.
TV: Going back to the film. Are the characters, sisters Ameena and Zainab, inspired by anyone you know?
AA: I wish I could say that the family portrayed is inspired by my family completely, but it is kind of like an ideal version of what I wished things were like. But I must say that Zainab is who I used to be, and Ameena is who I am now.
I used to be afraid to showcase my background, culture, and religion, but now I want to talk about it. So, I guess I have evolved from a 13-year-old to a nine-year-old in terms of acceptance.
TV: How do you make sure a short firm can deliver the story across within well without being too rushed?
AA: Because of the timeframe's nature, you do not have much time for character development. So, the opening scene needs to be captured right. Then, the score adds to the wonderment of the piece, which subconsciously allows the audience to immediately relate to it.
In a feature, I would give at least 20 minutes to get to know the character or introduce an incident 5 to 10 minutes in. But it’s different with a short film, so it was so important for us to get whatever we can in the first minute to allow the audience to understand a character well with the limitation of time.
SK: I always think about what captures my attention automatically. So exactly what Aqsa is saying, that first shot that you see is important, and in ‘American Eid’ you can immediately sense the warmth and love of the family right off the bat, which was critical to the film.
TV: Last question before we end. Can you single out key elements in a good short film/music score?
AA: I think I would agree with Siddhartha, where it is so important to get to know the soul of the people you are working with. I was a big fan of Siddhartha before this opportunity and reaching out to him is a dream. His scores give me so much hope, passion, and love.
So, when he decided to come on board and collaborate with me was a dream. So, the first conversation that we had that was mentioned earlier, truly kickstarted the intention for the piece and I appreciated all the effort and attention. I learned so much from him, and this is getting to know who you collaborate with.
SK: It is an honour that you would say that, and I learned a lot from you too. The script was beautiful, and you have a gift for storytelling – I am genuinely drawn to that.
If you ask me what makes a good score – you should be able to feel that collaboration between the artists that are making whatever you are seeing and listening to where you can see the conversation between the director and composer, which I feel is displayed in this project. Being open to trying new sounds and ideas is important. – The Vibes, June 6, 2021
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