blue veil

Experimental | 6 min | 2022 | HD

Audio language: Spanish Subtitles language: English Audio Description: LINK

In the wake of 9/11, a First-Gen Muslim teenager discovers her mother’s cassette tapes.The recordings reflect her parent's migration stories and serve as a roadmap to Amina’s identity. As music unlocks memories, Amina discovers who she is.

Through the intersection of sound and memory, this film blurs the lines between surveillance and archival repair. It is indiscernible to know “who is watching who,” but in a world that is watching, Amina chooses how she sees herself.

Dedicated to my ancestors, loved ones

and a generation of youth silenced by

Islamophobia. This is a prayer for the

hearts surveilled. May our truth(s) breathe.

Credits:

In order of apperance

Marina Ochoa

Etzel Ochoa

Kari Ramírez

Carlos Ortez

Ismael Salazar-Lopez

Writer, Director, Editor

Cinematography

Shireen Alihaji

Producer

Jaime Ballesteros

Camera Operator

Jaime Ballesteros

Ernesto Calixto

Sound Designer

Estevan Carlos Benson

Score

Shireen Alihaji

Soundtrack

"Amina"

Estevan Carlos Benson

"Blue Prayer"

Shireen Alihaji

"Crickets"

Bernabé Bolaños

"Recordaré / In My Name" Remix

Bernabé Bolaños

Shireen Alihaji

Title Art

Bernabé Bolaños

Subtitles

Sofi Alihaji

Phoenix DCP

With Support From:

Islamic Scholarship Fund

Blue Veil Films

Xilitla Labs

Multimedia Militia

Este Archives

Mila Lazarevic

Dina Provatas

[27] AUSTING FILM SOICETY

[26] MILWAUKEE FILM

[25] SOUTH SOCIAL FILM FEST

24] CINEMAUTO

23] OVER THE RHINE

[22] PALM SPRINGS INRTERNATIONAL SHORTS FEST

[21] BROOKLYN FILM SOCIETY

[20] CINE LAS AMERICAS

[19] MESILLA VALLEY FILM SOCIETY

[18] LAS CRUCES INTERNATIONAL FF

[17] UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS EL PASO

[16] PRESA HOUSE (PBS Independent

Lens Pop-Up)

[15] MIAMI FILM FESTIVAL

[14] MELBOURNE WOMEN IN FILM FESTIVAL

[13] CHIHUAHUA CITY, MX

[12] PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM

[11] CINESOL FILM FESTIVAL

[10] NOFF - Special Jury Recognition

[9] PFF

[8] FEMME FRONTERAS

[7] NYLFF

[6] COAXIAL

[5] LALIFF

[4] PHLAFF

[3] SFFILM

[2] MENAFF

[1] MIFF

development:

This short film is a proof of concept for the feature length script Blue Veil.

The feature script was accepted to the Sundance Screenwriters Intensive, Black List X Muslim List, Cannes List (Wscripted), Sundance Institute Latine Scholarship, NALIP Latino Media Market, published in the The Blue Print for Muslim Inclusion (Pillars Fund, Riz Ahmed / Left Handed Films, USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative) and nominated for the Athena List, Cassian Elwes x Sundance Fellowship and The Chinonye Chukwu Emerging Writer Award. It became a SFFILM Rainin Grant Finalist, featured in The Reframe Resource.

The project has received support from The Gotham’s Owning it Challenges, Athena Writers Lab, Respectability Lab, Women in Film Mentoring program, Empowered Stories and Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant.

Feature Length Script and pitch deck available upon request.