BlackStar Film Festival will showcase a film by Philly’s Imran Siddiquee

, which will be taking place Aug. 2 through Aug. 6. The film follows an undocumented immigrant from Bangladesh who immigrates to Philadelphia to escape something from her past. When she finds a room in an apartment to sublet, she finds herself dreaming about her roommate — and the life she could have.“I don’t think anyone has read me stories about the experiences of queer Muslims who are also immigrants and also undocumented,” said Siddiquee. “So I hope that it reaches those folks.

Much of the inspiration for the film came from Siddiquee’s personal experiences, including when they first moved to Philadelphia from San Francisco eight years ago, in the midst of a tense presidential campaign. From Trump signs around their South Philly neighborhood to protests at the airport over the “Muslim ban,” Siddiquee witnessed the impact the politics at the time had on people of color and immigrants, especially those who were undocumented.

“A big part of the story was affirming that sometimes it isn’t safe,” Siddiquee said. “Sometimes you don’t have support from the people you want it from the most, but you can find it in other places and other communities.”Another personal experience Siddiquee drew upon as they wrote the film was the history of their family, Bangladeshi people of all genders, and queer folks of color.

Philadelphians may recognize some shots in the film as well. Siddiquee and the film’s cinematographer, Nausheen Dadabhoy, shot some scenes in Upper Darby, where there is a significant Bangladeshi population. And the apartment that the film revolves around was built inside a West Philly home. “One of the things I’m very aware of is there’s a huge filmmaking community here, but there’s still room for a lot more resources to come to filmmakers of colors in Philly,” Siddiquee said. “I wanted to set it here and make it here for that reason.”

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