Filmmaker Statement

The Ocean Duck is a very personal film because it is actually based on my relationship with my grandmother. We were very close and a few years ago, she passed away after a long struggle with dementia. I wanted to make this film for her, to honor her memory, and to capture the spirit of grief and healing. I also wanted to reconnect to the mixed Arab and Persian culture we shared. I was once going through our family library of poetry and art, and I came across a Rumi poem about a duck who lived among hens because it had forgotten its true home was the ocean, a symbol for the eternal. The metaphor really resonated with me and became the basis for the short. To me, The Ocean Duck is a film that explores the connection between family, culture, memory, and loss - but most of all, it is a labor of love.