KARACHI: ‘Wholesome’ is the word that accurately describes the upcoming Disney+ short film American Eid, the trailer for which was released earlier this year.
The story unfolding is that of an ex-pat family that has moved to the US for a better life. Their youngest daughter, Ameena also the protagonist of the short film, is someone who is still new to grasp the traditions and holidays of her new country. For this reason, she cannot quite come to terms with the fact that she will no longer get three days off to celebrate Eid.
By showing up to school in her Eid clothes and chooriyan (bangles), she gives her elder sister Zainab several reasons to feel embarrassed. Aloof yet still caring, the story explores how Zainab comes closer to her younger sister, who by the way, also starts a petition to allow the sisters a three-day holiday to celebrate Eid.
The trailer is heartwarming and relatable, particularly for ex-pats. As children living in a Muslim country, we sometimes take for granted the holidays and festivities we get to celebrate at home with zeal and joy. These are privileges people from our culture hardly get to enjoy once they go abroad. Many a time we hear our own relatives from foreign countries talk about how they have to go to work on eid day, a notion that seems strange to us.
Through the eyes of Ameena, the trailer of American Eid gives its audiences a glimpse of the childlike fascination she has towards eid, something we all once did but keep growing out of as time passes. We all wanted to wear new clothes, put on mehndi and try out bangles and show off our eid purses. However, in our adolescence and youth, Eid soon becomes more of a ritual than a festival. The contrast of attitudes between the two sisters is a projection of just that: our lost younger selves, that were easily happy about the smallest things in life.
The short film will be releasing on May 28. It has been written and directed by Aqsa Altaf.
