Directed by Gaylene Barnes
Produced by Virginia Wright
Screenplay by Gaylene Barnes & Virginia Wright
Crew/Co Directors/Co Producers Bariz Shah & Saba Afrasyabi
This film is a must see. It is an inspirational story told by a young Muslim couple, Saba Afrasyabi and Bariz Shah, as they seek to find hope following the murders of 51 people in the Christchurch Mosque and Islamic Centre. After successfully raising funds, they travel to Afghanistan to find recipients to pay forward a gift, in this case, a gift of 51 ‘micro-businesses.’ Using a camera and US$250 they had raised in New Zealand, they work to find their recipients and change their lives.
The film follows the humanitarian effort of finding worthy recipients and gathering together items needed to set up a sewing business, karachi mobile fruit/soup/chips business and an LPG gas swap business. The fascinating storytelling features real people with close ups of street and family life. This film shows the positive impact when ordinary people make big plans. It is important viewing for teachers and others working with the Muslim Community, and the Afghan Community in particular.
