Benim

Benim is the story of two culturally opposite North Americans seeking to overcome the prejudice of their own community. Amidst disapproval, bias social systems, and rigid customs, our two leads struggle to find their way. In the end, just as their fight for reconciliation and tolerance grows promising, in a devastating and ironic turn of events, the world delivers them a final sucker punch.

A story about love and hate, and the consequences of both. Benim looks at what it means to cross the chasm of division, and the heroic compassion of Muslim immigrants.

The noble fight doesn’t always have a happy ending.

  • Anna Lauren Tufekci
    Director
    Narrative Film Debut
  • Anna Lauren Tufekci
    Writer
    Narrative Film Debut
  • Daria Scoccimarro
    Producer
    At Home with Amy Sedaris (Emmy Nom), Jon Glaser Loves Gear
  • Matt Wilson
    Producer
    Head of Production at NorthSouth, Former Managing Director at VH1
  • Kristin Krall
    Producer
    Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Rise, Marvel Series
  • Christina Popowytsch
    Producer
    Supervising Produce, Netflix & Refinery29
  • Kim Blanck
    Producer
  • Rashad Isaac
    Producer
    Producer, Refinery29
  • Auden Thornton
    Key Cast
    "Mari"
    Beauty Mark (LA Film Festival's Breakout Star), Blue Bloods, Royal Pains, Elementary, Bull, The Good Wife
  • Babak Tafti
    Key Cast
    "Yusuf"
    Orange Is The New Black, Instinct, Elementary, Murphy Brown, New Amsterdam, The Public Theatre's Shakespeare in the Park Othello (NYTimes Breakout Star)
  • Leslie Hendrix
    Key Cast
    "Mother"
    Arthur, Law & Order (200+ Episodes), Gotham Recurring)
  • Fletcher Wolfe
    Director of Photography
    Brooklyn/Alaska (IndieWIRE Project of the Month), Sugar! (Starring Alice Ripley)
  • Mike Api
    Editor
    One Heartbeat (Editing Emmy Nom), Notre Dame Reborn (Editing Emmy Nom), Leavenworth (Starz)
  • Katie Fleming
    Production Design
    Night Comes On (Sundance Winner), Where There’s Smoke (Tribeca),
  • Cypher Audio
    Sound Design / Composition
    Work has been featured in Annecy, TIFF, Motionographer, Vimeo Staff Picks, Nowness, Raindance, BFI, OFFFF, Palais de Tokyo
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Immigrant Story, Romance, Islam
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 50 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 30, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    35,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Persian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.40
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Big Apple Film Festival
    New York
    United States
    February 6, 2019
    New York Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Women's Voices Now
    Online
    Not yet released
    Semi Finalist
Distribution Information
  • Hewes Pictures
    Country: Worldwide
Director Biography - Anna Lauren Tufekci

Anna Lauren is an award winning commercial director and producer. At Refinery29 she directed Hollywood talents like Nikki Reed (Thirteen, Twilight), Danielle Brooks (Orange is the New Black, Tony Nomination The Color Purple), The Merrell Twins (Jane The Virgin, 3x Teen Choice Award Nominations) and leading fashion designers like Rachel Antonoff and Daniella Yacobovsky. Her work has been recognized by SXSW, the Annie Awards (ASIFA-Hollywood), the NYTimes and more. An expert in content by and for women, she’s curated and executed works for companies like Michael Kors, The UN, Google, Clinique, Amazon, Adidas, and Facebook while offering a deeper and richer message to aid in the raising of minority voices. She produced indy-darling Sonja O'Hara's feature film, Ovum (Boston International Film Festival Spirit Award, Tribeca Shortlist, IndyWIRE feature, distribution deal with Random Media), as well as a monthly live show for Mara Wilson (Matilda, Mrs. Doubtfire) featuring talent like Judy Gold, Chris Gethard, John Early, NPR hosts and more. She's currently in development on a show represented by WME alongside Art & Industry (Peabody Nomination, Patriot Act, Netflix) featuring Tabatha Coffey (Bravo), Kim Kimble (Beyonce's “Lemonade” album video) and more. https://www.annalauren.com

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I was raised in Calgary, Canada and attended a private Christian school where teachers confused my young-mind with messages that enforced Christianity as the supreme religion, casually vilifying Islam. However, when I met my husband, a Sufi Muslim, I knew from the start he was unique and sacred. Unlike anyone I had known.

Once we were married, Islamophobic encounters and remarks so subtle I would have previously laughed them off, glared. I fasted at work for Ramadan and my white-male-boss made a side comment, meant to instigate a group laugh, about how I’d become an extremist.

It was then that I began to understand how many are genuinely confused by what Islam actually is. It was then that I saw how much of a quiet hero my immigrant Muslim husband had been, everyday, humbly combating the biases of the world. It was then that I realized how perpetuated and camouflaged linages of prejudice were in my own heart (if not towards Islam, other things… little things… things I was embarrassed to even admit to myself).

We haven’t earned anything in this life. My privilege is a not something I’ve acquired with my own work effort. It is not a right. I have a responsibility to halt the engendering of division and shine a light on immigrant heroes. Because, like my husband, they carry the weight of our confusion, compassionately and lovingly.