Tallahassee (+ Q&A)

A 22-minute short film about a young woman navigating her re-entry into the world after psychiatric hospitalization—and the weight of family secrets that greet her at home. Director Darine Hotait crafts a portrait of mental illness that refuses the silence and stigma often surrounding it in Arab culture, centering Mira's quiet struggle as she returns to her mother's Brooklyn home for her grandmother's birthday, only to discover her sister has lied about her absence.

Darine Hotait directs with restraint and specificity, letting the film's emotional core—the gap between what families say happened and what actually did—carry the weight. The film moves between English and Arabic, grounding itself in the texture of a particular community and experience.

This screening is part of the New York Kurdish Film Festival and includes a Q&A with director Darine Hotait after the film, so you'll have a chance to ask her directly about the work and the choices she made.