I Am Amina – BAFT 3rd Year Graduation Film

As part of the LCC’s Graduate Showcase, we will be featuring the works of students from across Screen School, giving an insight into their graduation projects. For the third week we have I Am Amina, a 3rd Year, BA Film and Television film directed by Nabila Eltigi and produced by Ramneek Kataria.

I Am Amina follows Amina Hamid, a South Asian woman who is torn between the idea of marriage, arranged by her traditional parents, or the freedom and thrill she gets after meeting her motorbike neighbour, Honey.  “I Am Amina” takes a straightforward turn into an arranged marriage day, a woman’s bravery and empowerment.

We spoke with Nabila and Ramneek to discuss their work as director and producer on I Am Amina.

Nabila Eltigi – Director

How did you come up with the idea for the film? What are the themes explored in your film?

The short film “I Am Amina” was inspired by a New York Times editorial and the Amazon Prime Video series Modern Love Mumbai, a collection of true-life love stories. Monsoon Wedding, directed by Mira Nair and nominated for a BAFTA. In addition to years of watching UAL alumni Gurinder Chadha’s Bend it Like Beckham and Bollywood blockbusters (I later realized Chadha is a postgraduate of London College of Printing).

I’ve always wanted to make a film about women and culture. As an Arab and North African Muslim, I witness how women fight to live freely without fear of judgment from others and society. “I Am Amina” takes a straightforward turn into an arranged marriage day, a woman’s bravery and empowerment. My initial idea was more of a dismal take on life based on honour killing, but I was able to modify the plot to bring in a more upbeat hopeful sense to women all around the world. 

How was your experience working as a director?

Being a director felt very natural as if it is what I was meant to do. Everything fell into place, and I was able to communicate my vision and aesthetic to the cast and crew. Along with my good friend and Director of Photography, Iara Torres, without whom I would not have been able to complete this project. We collaborated to produce storyboards and floor plans, which helped us stay organized and know what to do next while shooting. 

According to the crew, this was a ‘friendly’ shoot that was distinct from the rest of the films they worked on. This comment was taken positively by me because the way I worked required that I always work in a relaxed and calm setting, and in times of stress, we would always find a solution together. I learned that the most important aspect of being a good director is to be friends with your cast, listen to everyone’s opinions, and always work as a team. 

I would like to thank everyone who stood up to take on an additional role in times of need; I couldn’t have done it without you. I want to thank everyone who helped me achieve a dream that I have been working towards for as long as I can remember and would not have been possible without my talented cast and crew. 

“You can have your Jalebi and eat it too”

How is the edit of the film coming along?

We just picture-locked the film yesterday and it is all coming together!

We are currently in the process of selecting the appropriate music and soundtrack for the film, as well as commencing the colour grading stage. So far, the tutors who have seen it have given us great feedback. Super overwhelming, but I am beyond excited to screen it with my family and friends. 

Our editor Manav Shankar and our Sound designer Stanley Banbury are doing a phenomenal job working together to bring “I Am Amina” to life!

Ramneek Kataria – Producer

What were the challenges in making the film? How was your overall experience in producing?

Producing a film that screams cultures, conflicted characters, tough decisions, breaking boundaries and above all, a story so close to my heart, the journey of ‘I Am Amina’, has been a rollercoaster We faced many challenges, but my biggest concern throughout was to represent/showcase culture in its best light, not only breaking stereotypes of Indian Muslim families and their beliefs but also creating awareness about the whole concept of arranged marriages and ‘the choice’ many women in south Asian cultures have to make. 

I was born and brought up in India. Around me, I have seen women go through the whole dilemma of choosing between arranged marriages and their passions. For me, Amina is my neighbor’s daughter or my friend’s elder sister. If I could say something to all Aminas out there, I’d say, make your own decisions pick yourself, your dreams, your passions, and your aspirations above anyone.

One of our inspirations is the filmmaker, Mira Nair, during our initial presentations, we used her film ‘Monsoon Wedding’, to create a sense of the feel of the film in terms of camera, editing, production design and directing style.

One of the many challenges was filming ‘the motorbike scene’, keeping health and safety in mind. After many discussions with our supervisor and peers, we managed to pull off Poor Man’s process and film one of the most important scenes of the film.

It was a great experience casting the actors and motorbikers for the film, for many of them it was their first time on camera, and with such a big cast, it took many drafts to schedule the film in accordance with everyone.

To represent Indian culture, production design played a key role in our film as well, we went to places like Southall and other markets to purchase various items for the project. 

Overall, my journey producing the film has been great, at many times it was overwhelming, but I would not have it any other way. I learned a lot from every challenge we faced and it is astonishing to reflect on the experiences. 

How was your collaboration with the crew?

I got to work with an extraordinary group, managing everyone and producing a film like this has been very rewarding. Everyone with their expertise in their areas, helped the film come to life. Even after a few differences in opinion, we managed to not let it affect the vision of the film and came to many creative consensuses together. 

I had not worked with Nabila, my director, we got together almost every day to work on the film and in this process she became one of my closest friends as well. We were professional when it came to work but at the same time, we created a safe and enjoyable place for the whole crew and cast, for it is very important for everyone to enjoy such a stressful process.

I was in charge of casting as well and made sure the characters are rightly cast to ensure the vision of the film is correctly portrayed. 

All in all, I had a great time working with such a talented crew and cast. 

What are the next steps with the film once it’s completed?

We are currently in post-production, having meetings with the editor and our supervisor every week. We have picture locked the film and working on sound designing and colour grading as it plays a crucial role to intensify the drama and do justice to the genre of our film.

Moreover, we are researching the appropriate film festivals for this South Asian drama, and are very excited for the film to be released.   

Look out for I Am Amina during the BA Film and Television’s Graduate Showcase in June 2023.