Senior Thesis Film for California College of the Arts

Escaping the rising tensions in his home, a young Lebanese man has lucid visions and interactions of his deepest anxieties through the smoke of a hookah.

Internal Embers was inspired by my ancestors' emigration from Lebanon during the rising tensions of war in the 1970s.

Both sides of my family had to sacrifice everything familiar to them, leaving behind their homes, culture, and way of life to start anew with only hopes and aspirations for a better future. Though their hardships were devastating, their ability to embrace change allowed them to grow stronger and build better lives.

Internal Embers reflects moments of doubt, anxiety, and trauma. Yet, it is through these challenges that we find the strength to seek change and accept it, trusting that it can lead us toward new opportunities and brighter possibilities.