Private Project

Dear Jamie

Amidst the stillness of her loneliness, Mrs. Wilson, a frail widow in her seventies, grapples with isolation and regrets. She lives in a small house outside London, where every corner echoes with memories of better days. Estranged and distant, her son James, is the only blood bond left in her life whose prolonged absence weighs down on her heart. The silence of this house is a constant reminder of the choices she made that shaped her life. She is dependent on her overworked medical staff (Lisa), who has punctuality issues.

Confined to her room, one day, Mrs. Wilson finds herself visited by a stranger (Hassan, 26, an immigrant from Pakistan) with unexpected intentions. Mistaking him for her son, Mrs. Wilson speaks to him with longing, expressing her regrets and eventually drawing him into her world.
Hassan is caught off guard by her vulnerability and finds it hard to ignore the regrets of an old lady. As their paths cross, they both delve into their life journeys, analyzing their decisions and their inevitable results. Although their lives were shaped by completely different choices, yet they have arrived at the same emotional crossroads. This brief encounter transforms them both in profound ways.

Set against the quiet backdrop of an ordinary British household, ‘Dear Jamie’ is an unforgiving, deafening scream in the face of our societies . It is a heartfelt tale of unexpected connections, shared pain and the long awaited glory that we as humans crave.

  • Shoaib Rabbani
    Director
  • imran Ahmed
    Director
  • Shoaib Rabbani
    Writer
  • Imran Ahmed
    Writer
  • Shoaib Rabbani
    Producer
  • Susan Barham
    Key Cast
    "Mrs Wilson"
  • Hassan Mir
    Key Cast
    "Hassan"
  • Qundeel Sadiq
    Key Cast
    "Lisa "
  • Mikael Shoaib
    Key Cast
    "Kid looking for his football"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    25 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 4, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital ( Blackmagic 4K pocket)
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.4:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Shoaib Rabbani, imran Ahmed

We have always been passionate about music and films. Growing up in a small city in Pakistan, we discovered our love for cinema at an early age. As children of the '80s and '90s, owning film equipment to create something of quality was a distant dream. But, by some stroke of luck, we found ourselves in a time when affordable, personal camera gear made it possible to shoot and share our stories.

Though we've been writing together for years, Dear Jamie marks our first collaboration to bring our shared passion for storytelling to life.

Shoaib Rabbani resides in Reading, United Kingdom, while Imran Ahmed lives in Berlin, Germany.

Dear Jamie was self-funded and shot over five days with a four-person crew, using whatever equipment we could afford.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

"Dear Jamie" is a deeply intimate exploration of human vulnerability, the consequences of isolation, and the unexpected connections that can arise even in the most unorthodox circumstances. The story revolves around Mrs. Wilson, a woman who is at the mercy of others due to her declining health, and how her loneliness and desperate need for human connection collide with the presence of an unexpected intruder.

As directors, we wanted to immerse the audience in Mrs. Wilson’s world of confusion and longing, highlighting the emotional complexity of living in a state of dependency. The arrival of a thief, initially a threat as an intruder, becomes a catalyst for an unexpected bond between two unlikely people. In the span of this brief encounter, they share their stories, fears, and fleeting moments of understanding.

Ultimately, the story is about the quiet strength of human connection and the small, yet profound, ways that empathy and understanding can bridge the gap between two people. Hassan, an immigrant thief, and Mrs. Wilson, a woman with a frail body but a rich, untold history, each learn something important from one another