,” took Sundance by storm and became one of the first films ever acquired by tech giant Apple. On the ground in Toronto, Baig spoke withabout showing the film, about the identity struggles of a Muslim teen girl, to diverse audiences around the world. Also serving as screenwriter and producer, Baig’s story centers on Pakistani-American, whose modern sexual and emotional awakening brush up against the deep-seated values of her faith and culture.You’ve been on the road with this for a while.
We’ve had the opportunity to take this to a few festivals, in San Francisco, Seattle and Italy. Sitting in some of these audiences, I wondered how the film might translate and it was gratifying to see people laughing at similar times and having other reactions like that. I feel like I made a movie that has the ability to cross cultures and hopefully will have a universal, emotional resonance.
The coming-of-age story is familiar, but what I think is new is that it presents a perspective that is usually not front and center. It’s getting to see the inside of diaspora experience, seeing someone who is growing up in America having to balance both parts of the old world, your current culture and your faith. The things that are not disposable.
There’s been a lot of praise for your leading lady Geraldine Viswanathan. What about her spoke to you for this part? I went into casting hoping for someone who could have all these emotional layers, someone who could project all of that without a line of dialogue, [Geraldine] submitted a tape, and it was immediately clear that she could visually communicate that internal conflict. She also has charisma and levity, and could give lightness to a self-serious character. Teenagers can be self-serious.I really want people to have empathy for Hala and young women like Hala.
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