Hasim October
Films for the Fall • Drama, Short Films, 20-Jun-2019
An Indian-American teenager is caught between a crush and an anthrax prank in the weeks following 9/11. “Hasim October,” by director Swetha Regunathan, is a portrait of youthful frustration at a chaotic moment in American history. On the day before her 15th birthday, Brinda and her friend are walking down the street when they are randomly pushed by a blond girl calling them “fucking Arabs.” What starts as a innocent joke to mail a suspicious letter to the bully goes too far and becomes an unsettling predicament. Meanwhile, Brinda tries to make an impression on her friend’s older brother by smoking pot with him and making fun of his rapping skills (“you know you’re not black, right?”). The film is carried by the performances of Rhea Raj as Brinda, sly and rebellious, and her would-be crush, played by Manu Menon, and it’s both an intimate coming-of-age drama, and a revealing snapshot of suburban New Jersey in the Fall of 2001. -KA. Director: Swetha Regunathan. Starring: Rhea Raj, Manu Menon, and Anita Ganesan. Director of Photography: Jall Cowasji. Producers: Ashley Deckman, Ria Tobaccowala. Editor: Will Mayo. Costume Designer: Aaron Crosby. Production Designer: Misti Rae Boettiger.
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