‘In 2016, I wrote a novel called Paisley Webbs. This novel not only helped me understand my love for writing, but it also helped me visualize who I am through the characters of the story; this feeling of expression was one that I could not resist. I remember constantly reading, writing, and watching films to satisfy this craving. Until I found Titus, an ancient and forgotten tale filled with adventure, love, and loss. I couldn’t help but live in this world. The trees started to grow around me, and the characters of this world began to fill the seats of my classmates. Role models in my life began to take shape as great characters who would go on to support Titus in his journey, and my enemies became his own. My life felt like it was just beginning, and I promised him to share it with all of you.’ That was the preface to the art book of the first sci-fi screenplay I wrote in high school. From a very young age, I always knew I wanted to be a writer. Then, when I started studying at NYU, I discovered what it was like to truly bring my stories to life.

Throughout my time at NYU, I discovered a unique medium in writing more raw, personal stories and adaptations. Soon enough, the blend of indie storytelling infused with epic sci-fi became my personal, creative haven. As a minority, sci-fi became a universal medium that allowed me to share my unique perspective with the world and connect on a deeper level.

At a time when I felt lost with my identity, I wrote another feature in my junior year, called The Weathermen. The Weathermen is especially close to me because it’s a sci-fi, coming-of-age story about a teenage girl. Similarly to me, Ziya is simply trying to find where she most belongs. A condensed, short film version of this script became my senior thesis, which is now in its festival run.

Pablo Picasso once said, “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” I’ve learned that my gift is to redefine aspects of life for people to escape into and experience through a different world, filled with beauty, pain, and childlike features — a place where we can truly reconnect with who we are and who we want to become. The entire creative process of Titus and The Weathermen was extremely healing for me because I got a chance to amplify and reflect on my own life, and as a filmmaker, I hope that through these stories, others will too.