Private Project

Ozona

A young couple’s cross-country road trip comes to a halt when their car breaks down on a desolate Midwestern road. Liam encourages Iman to call her nearby uncle for help. Weary of alerting her family of her relationship with Liam, Iman refuses. However, a local hunter, Heath, stumbles upon the stranded pair. After an unsuccessful attempt to fix their car, Heath offers them a ride to the nearest town, Ozona. Iman eagerly accepts. Liam, apprehensive of Heath, refuses the ride but discovers Iman’s secret anniversary gift for him. The discovery motivates Liam to reconcile with Iman and venture forwards with her on the unknown road ahead.

  • Dhruv Ohno Mehra
    Director
  • Dhruv Mehra
    Writer
  • Ariella Khan
    Writer
  • Lucia Agajanian
    Producer
  • Ahlaam Moledina
    Producer
  • G Hao Lee
    Key Cast
    "Liam"
  • Mirrat
    Key Cast
    "Iman"
  • Matt Rosin
    Key Cast
    "Heath"
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Comedy, Romance, Road
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 16 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 2, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    3,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Northwestern University
Director Biography - Dhruv Ohno Mehra

Dhruv Mehra is an Indian-Japanese-American filmmaker. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he made his way to Chicago to study film at Northwestern University with a focus in narrative cinematography and directing. He enjoys stories that tackle big ideas in small worlds. Dhruv has worked on shorts, features, TV, commercials, music videos, and webseries in the United States, India, and Pakistan.

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Director Statement

Ozona is heavily inspired by my own road trip misadventure that took place on the side of the highway just outside of the titular, tiny Texan town. With this story, I attempted to portray a relationship dynamic as complicated and specific as my own, representing a juxtaposition of perspectives and backgrounds I've yet to see on the screen. "Ozona" questions what it means to be of a context, out of context, and without context. My three protagonists should never have crossed paths in the place and time that they did, yet they did, as I did in January 2021, and the confusion, uncertainty, and humor experienced is a result of such an interaction. This film explores how a young couple engages with presence, judgment, and trust when it comes to strangers, strange situations, and with each other. - DM