FATIMA

What begins as a transaction for a green card becomes a fragile entanglement of need and desire, loneliness and longing.

Currently in a festival run.

Please enjoy the excerpt below or reach out for a password protected link to a full movie!

Written, Directed & Edited by Zaha Alieva / Co-Produced by Zaha Aliv & Jwann Layton / Cinematography by Piper Yu

Director's statement:

Fatima is my second-year film at Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema. I was drawn to depicting the immigration process in the U.S. without falling into the common tropes of portraying immigrants solely as victims or as inherently “good” in order to justify their presence. Instead, I aimed to present a more honest, layered narrative, one that recognizes immigrants as flawed, complex, and fully human. Through Fatima, a “perfect mess” doing her best in an unforgiving system, I explored the emotional toll of navigating life under bureaucratic pressure while holding space for moments of vulnerability, quiet humor, and messy authenticity. This film was a deeply rewarding journey for me, and I hope it sparks meaningful conversations around the immigrant experience.

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© Zaha Aliv 2025