Saturday, March 16 / 6:30 pm / Ottawa Art Gallery

Program: The Mess We're In, Elaha

Feature presentation \

expectations \ defiance \ autonomy

Age-old traditions clash with modern life as 22-year-old Elaha attends school, works part-time, and plans her wedding. On her wedding to-do list: find a way to feign her virginity. In a tight-knit Kurdish community in the city, Elaha respects her family and their traditions, which is why, despite having had premarital sex, she wants to meet her culture’s expectation of bleeding on her wedding night. Elaha explores her options, but secrets are difficult to keep in her community. Her future sister-in-law owns the dry cleaning business she works at and reports back to both their families about Elaha’s behaviour. She can’t even have a night out with friends without being caught and scolded by her fiancé, let alone tell her friends that she’s been spending time with an old flame. Her considerate teacher encourages Elaha to not give in to expectations, but she doesn’t see that as an option. She’s willing to go as far as surgery if only she could afford it. Director and writer Milena Aboyan brings nuance and respect of the Kurdish customs to her debut feature. With beautiful, sometimes haunting visuals, Elaha is an intimate look at a young woman searching for her inner truth in a world not ready to accept her as she is.

- Tish Black

Short film \

The Mess We're In

2022 / 11 minutes / British Columbia
Director: Jamie Lam
Language: English

Still living in her mother’s hoarder house, a young woman struggles to balance her feelings of duty towards her family and her desire for independence.

Tenderly navigating the complexities of family, mental illness, and a young adult’s need for freedom, The Mess We’re In shows how hard it can be to let go of the burden of responsibility, even when it's holding us back.