In My Garden

After the loss of her closest friend, Safiyah pushes through her lonely life by shutting out the world. Succumbing to the weight of her self-isolation, Safiyah is fired from her job and comforted by words from a generous stranger, who, during a fun girls' night, shows her a new meaning of "friend".

  • Zahri Josita Jackson
    Director
  • Zahri Josita Jackson
    Writer
  • Denyvi Rose
    Producer
  • Nyssa Joseph
    Producer
  • Tatiana Skyy
    Key Cast
    "Safiyah"
  • Kiara Lauren
    Key Cast
    "Ajana"
  • Mia Sterbini
    Key Cast
    "Lola"
    Rustin
  • Mesgana Teklu
    Key Cast
    "Femi"
  • Nyah Anderson
    Key Cast
    "Valentina"
  • Anvita Gattani
    Line Producer
  • Nicole Salmeri
    Editor
    I Love My Mother
  • Nicole Salmeri
    Post Producer
    I Love My Mother
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student, Television
  • Genres:
    Drama, Romance, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    27 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 21, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    9,325 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - New York University
  • Black Film Festival of New Orleans
    New Orleans
    United States
    March 17, 2023
    World Premiere
    Official Selection; Best Young Filmmaker Award Winner - Zahri Josita Jackson; Best Director Nomination - Zahri Josita Jackson; Best Actress Nomination - Tatiana Skyy
Director Biography - Zahri Josita Jackson

Zahri Josita Jackson is a Jamaican-American filmmaker, actress, and NYU alumna based in Brooklyn, NY. Her creative work explores themes of loneliness, Black woman- and girlhood, and mental wellness. Originally from the D.C. Metropolitan area, onscreen worlds rarely reflected the world she experienced, fueling her mission to saturate the media sphere with content that reflects and empowers her communities. Between acting in various films and series for HBO, Disney+, and Netflix, and co-directing the digital zine and creative studio, TEAM Mag, Zahri has become a 2021 Gucci Changemakers Scholar and landed production roles at Culture.House Media and Showtime Networks, and recently completed her short film, In My Garden.

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Director Statement

The objective of this story is to celebrate that moment of realization between strangers that they have a true, soulful connection. In the digital and pandemic eras, friendship is hard and loneliness rates, especially among young adults, continue to increase. Some of our tightest and long-lasting bonds in life are that of friends, and yet so often, especially for Black female leads in film, the intimacy of friendship is overshadowed by romantic connections.

As a Black woman at a PWI, loneliness hit me the hardest upon moving to NYC and while it continues to be one of the most difficult challenges of my life, it blessed me with a newfound perspective on what I truly want in a friend and has taught me ways to co-create meaningful experiences with the people I've chosen to let into my life. I've accepted that curating something so precious takes time and trial and error. Thus, this film represents the spark I hope to feel when I finally find my tribe in this new city.

Making friends is an awkward and beautiful process, especially in the beginning. "In My Garden" aims to capture the very beginning - the first night - of a possibly lifelong friendship.