A young struggling Mexican American, Lisa, forms an unlikely friendship with Gulzaar, an elderly Pakistani immigrant who owns a flower shop. Lisa’s worst fear becomes real when Gulzaar suddenly disappears and she embarks on a mission to find her friend.
Lisa, a first generation Mexican American, has recently graduated and is about to start her first day working at a coffee shop. She has been going through financial and emotional struggles while missing her father who was recently deported back to Mexico. On her first day of work, she passes a small flower shop where Gulzaar, an elderly Pakistani man with a kind smile, gifts her a single maroon rose. Though they don’t share a language, a tender friendship forms between them through small acts of kindness. Deportation raids sweep through her community and anxiety creeps into everyday life. When Gulzaar suddenly disappears, Lisa imagines the worst as she searches for him with the dread of another name vanishing without a trace. Being relentless in her search and refusing to give up, Lisa is finally able to locate her friend. What she finds is not just a man, but the beauty of human connection despite language, culture, age or borders.
Rijaa is a storyteller at her core, a filmmaker who uses the lens to explore humanity with precision and soul. Originally from Pakistan, she has spent over a decade crafting narratives that resonate deeply with her audience.
Her work has been aired on screens globally through acclaimed TV networks such as Reelz, Discovery, Cooking Channel, and HGTV. Her recent television directorial work includes powerful episodes of Murder Made Me Famous and Scandal Made Me Famous which tell real-life stories through cinematic journeys. Her previous short narrative films 'Piece of Naan'(based in Pakistan) and 'Meet him at Noon' have garnered acclaim at some of the most prestigious festivals, including Cannes, Kashish Mumbai Film Festival, Pakistan Calling Film Festival, Dallas Video Fest, Los Angeles Lift off Film Festival, Alibag Festival, Texas Women Film Festival and Topaz Film Festival. At Topaz film festival, 'Meet him at Noon' went on to win the audience choice award. Each project reflects her unique ability to translate human emotion into compelling visual art.
Beyond the world of cinema, Rijaa is a visionary in immersive storytelling, bringing brands to life through innovative mediums such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and interactive digital platforms. Her work merges creativity and technology to craft unforgettable narratives, a passion that led her to join the global creative agency AKQA as a producer.
Rijaa's ability to visually display genuine stories has been constant throughout her life and she remains driven to create meaningful content through film and media.
Producer - Lisandra Montes
Post Production Producer - Shahzeb Khalid
Cinematographer - Christain Vasquez
