A New Born Tragedy is an Award-Winning short film I wrote and directed for the annual RedFest competition held at UH. Emman, a 9-year-old, was born on September 11, 2009. Her parents had to explain what her birth date holds after an incident at school.
LOGLINE: a 12-year-old Muslim girl faces post 9/11 Islamaphobia in the classroom.
GENRE: Drama/Documentary
TARGET DEMOGRAPHICS: family/adults.
12-year-old, Emman, was born on September 11, 2009. Her parents couldn’t do anything
but wait till she got older to tell her what her birthday’s date holds. Emman goes into
class and sees the chairs reorganized in a group-shaped form. She proceeds to sit in her spot
just as another classmate sits facing her, Jason. Jason recognizes that Emman is Muslim and
decides to ask Emman a question that changes everything. The question asked sparked an
unwanted and unchangeable memory that will live with her for the rest of her life. Emman
goes back home to ask her mother to explain and help her understand what Jason had mentioned;
that’s when Raghad had to sit Emman down and explain to her what September 11,
2001, held other than her birth date. Raghad finds herself needing to teach her daughter how
to stand up to the hate that her 12-year-old daughter will receive on a day she had nothing to
do with. Emman struggles to go back to school as what used to be one of her favorite days of
the year approaches closer and closer. Her mother pushes her to go, Jason will make it clear
that Emman gets his hateful messages again and again.
