The Orchard | A Film for My Grandfather

Almost five years ago, while shooting a film in my childhood village, we ended up recording an interview with my grandfather. It was ‪@shidanmajidi770‬ idea. ‪@faheemabdullahworld‬ asked the questions, Junaid Bin Rashid was behind the camera, and what started as a simple conversation became one of the most valuable pieces of footage I have ever recorded. At the time, none of us knew how much those few minutes would come to mean. A year ago today, my grandfather, Syed Asgar Rizvi passed away. Since then, I have often found myself going back to that interview, listening to his stories, his laughter, and his thoughts about me growing up. On the first anniversary of his passing, I wanted to create something meaningful using filmmaking because it is the only way I know how to hold on to moments and people that matter. A few days ago, I returned to my maternal home and the orchard where many of my childhood memories were made. I walked the same paths, stood beneath the same trees, and revisited the places he once showed me. I filmed those spaces again, this time without him, to capture the quiet emptiness that his absence has left behind. This film is built around his own words, recorded in October 2021, and the memories we shared in that orchard. For Totha. Thank you for everything. I love you and miss you everyday.