A Half Moon

A HALF MOON

A Muslim woman migrates to New Zealand with her terminally ill son. Will religion be her solace or a barrier in this new life?

A Half moon is a 10-15 minute short film depicting Laleh (36), a Muslim immigrant who faces prejudices in her day-to-day routine while caring for her terminally ill son, Davoud (11). A chest infection forces Davoud to an urgent care centre for treatment; this causes Laleh to struggle with her faith.

WHY WE NEED TO TELL THIS STORY

A half moon hones in on Laleh's story, juggling external prejudices and internal battles with faith as she attempts to fit into her new environment while caring for her son. Through this film, we want to exhibit the strength and resilience of immigrants, particularly women, and the hardships they must overcome.

WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP

A Half Moon is our final film project as students at SAE institute. We are asking for your help to establish our vision. Our target to bring A Half Moon to life is $4000 to help to cover the costs of:

• Paying our talented actors
• Finding the perfect locations
• feeding the cast and crew
• Travel fees

We are so excited to share this story; any contribution is greatly appreciated.

CREW

Writer/ Director: Saman Tehrani

Producer: Roberto Nascimento

Co-Producers: Jacob Reid and Saman Tehrani

Director of Photography: Sofi Issak-Zade

Audio Supervisor: Jacob Reid

Editor: Jade Anderson

1st AD: Levi Andreas Roberts-Brothers

Writer/Directors statement: 

As filmmakers, I believe our own realities are the best sources of inspiration. I remember the difficulties of emigrating as a young Muslim refugee to a country like New Zealand, and I can imagine how much more difficult it must have been for my mother. The added pressure of having to look after a child and the scarf on her head. I wrote this story based on real-life events my mother and I experienced. My mother nearly took off the scarf at one point to make things easier. In my piece, I'd like to illustrate how Muslim women feel out of place in a western country that emphasizes physical attributes as a primary factor in women's roles. This story is close to my heart, and I am passionate about sharing it.

Producers statement:

I’m stoked to be a part of the team bringing this beautiful story to life. Saman is working hard with a crew of emerging professionals to create a film that is personal, touching and relatable. As an immigrant myself, these are themes very close to my heart. Thank you.

Co-Producer statement:

I’m super excited to be working alongside such an amazing team, full of talented individuals. This short film has a touching & heartfelt story with strong and relatable themes throughout. I truly can’t wait to see our vision come to life and am looking forward to working on this project. 

THANK YOU!