MARIE, MY FIRST – Zaha Alieva

Marie, My First

Erik, a struggling writer stuck in a soul-crushing job, seeks solace in an encounter with Marie, a local sex worker. Their awkward meeting unexpectedly ignites Erik's creativity, propelling him to embark on his first literary venture with Marie as his unlikely muse.

Director's statement:

I wrote this short film as a contemporary adaptation of Isaac Babel's novella My First Fee. I set it in present-day New York, in Brighton Beach — the neighborhood where I had my first apartment after immigrating to the U.S. It was important to me to make New York, and specifically this neighborhood, feel like a character of its own.

I'm interested in exploring the lesser-known, less "Instagrammable" sides of the city: the overlooked corners that hold quiet stories. This piece touches on themes of isolation and displacement, two emotions I was grappling with myself when I first arrived in this country.

As my character says: “October nights in New York are blue and soft as velvet — but only for the fortunate ones. To live in New York, to be young and unloved — that is a tragedy.”

Director's statement:

I wrote this short film as a contemporary adaptation of Isaac Babel's novella My First Fee. I set it in present-day New York, in Brighton Beach — the neighborhood where I had my first apartment after immigrating to the U.S. It was important to me to make New York, and specifically this neighborhood, feel like a character of its own.

I'm interested in exploring the lesser-known, less "Instagrammable" sides of the city: the overlooked corners that hold quiet stories. This piece touches on themes of isolation and displacement, two emotions I was grappling with myself when I first arrived in this country.

As my character says: “October nights in New York are blue and soft as velvet — but only for the fortunate ones. To live in New York, to be young and unloved — that is a tragedy.”

Director's statement:

I wrote this short film as a contemporary adaptation of Isaac Babel's novella My First Fee. I set it in present-day New York, in Brighton Beach — the neighborhood where I had my first apartment after immigrating to the U.S. It was important to me to make New York, and specifically this neighborhood, feel like a character of its own.

I'm interested in exploring the lesser-known, less "Instagrammable" sides of the city: the overlooked corners that hold quiet stories. This piece touches on themes of isolation and displacement, two emotions I was grappling with myself when I first arrived in this country.

As my character says: “October nights in New York are blue and soft as velvet — but only for the fortunate ones. To live in New York, to be young and unloved — that is a tragedy.”

Director's statement:

I wrote this short film as a contemporary adaptation of Isaac Babel's novella My First Fee. I set it in present-day New York, in Brighton Beach — the neighborhood where I had my first apartment after immigrating to the U.S. It was important to me to make New York, and specifically this neighborhood, feel like a character of its own.

I'm interested in exploring the lesser-known, less "Instagrammable" sides of the city: the overlooked corners that hold quiet stories. This piece touches on themes of isolation and displacement, two emotions I was grappling with myself when I first arrived in this country.

As my character says: “October nights in New York are blue and soft as velvet — but only for the fortunate ones. To live in New York, to be young and unloved — that is a tragedy.”

Director's statement:

I wrote this short film as a contemporary adaptation of Isaac Babel's novella My First Fee. I set it in present-day New York, in Brighton Beach — the neighborhood where I had my first apartment after immigrating to the U.S. It was important to me to make New York, and specifically this neighborhood, feel like a character of its own.

I'm interested in exploring the lesser-known, less "Instagrammable" sides of the city: the overlooked corners that hold quiet stories. This piece touches on themes of isolation and displacement, two emotions I was grappling with myself when I first arrived in this country.

As my character says: “October nights in New York are blue and soft as velvet — but only for the fortunate ones. To live in New York, to be young and unloved — that is a tragedy.”