Our Family

The last time I hugged you was 2 years ago.

Overview

"Our Family" is a film about the time that we can't get back. I left my home along with my friends and family behind in 2017, when I was aged 15 to study in the United States. In some ways I feel like I may have not been best suited to make that decision for myself at the time, but 4 years later, I decided to take this opportunity to reflect on my departure and to reconnect with my family. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I haven't been able to go home to Sikkim in over 2 years. Talking to my parents over WhatsApp, I recorded two interviews with them discussing stories from the collective past of our family as well as individual ones. I was able to discover the love story my parents were a part of before I was even born, recollect the bits and pieces of my childhood that I'm beginning to forget, and process how my departure has affected my relationship with my parents and the course of our lives.