Written and to be directed by Samantha Shada, COME HOME WITH ME is a dramatic coming of age story set in 2001 around the September 11th attacks, a defining moment in American history and in the country’s relationship to Arab people. This film sits at the crux of race and gender that particularly shapes people from the Middle East and has influenced the filmmaker personally.
To escape her suburban upbringing, after graduating from high school, the film’s ambitious protagonist Sue Essa pursues her artistic dreams at an east coast art school. Meanwhile, her free spirited high school crush Alan enlists in the army. When a drunken phone call reunites them, Sue finds herself increasingly attached, losing sight of her studies, even her sense of self. Sue’s intense, unrequited obsession intensifies as Alan deploys. Will Sue find the courage to let Alan go and embrace her own life?
Sue’s search for her identity as an Arab person is as alive now with recent headlines as it was twenty years ago. As Alan goes off to war, Sue’s romantic projections spiral into a mess of her own creation. The film will unravel fantasy addiction in a first romantic relationship, inviting viewers to take a look at their own identity puzzle. Target audiences include maturing millennials over the age of thirty, particularly folx of mixed gender and racial backgrounds. The film will also appeal to Gen Z audiences coming into their identity now in the face of recent conflicts. This film will offer viewers a model to face self-destructive relationships with the awareness to make new choices towards finding the strength to drop obsession and the courage to start living their own life.
With over 20 years of experience in filmmaking ranging from studio production to independent films, Colorado Native Samantha Shada returns home to direct her first feature length narrative project. This production offers opportunity for NoCo filmmakers, with commitments to hire locally and inclusively above and below the line and to develop creative professionals along the Front Range. This film will be a creative homecoming. This project also aims to take advantage of Colorado’s local tax credit with physical production in winter 2025 to 2026. All donations made through Denver Film are tax deductible and non-recoupable. Those interested in Executive Producer credit or equity investment should contact the filmmaker directly. Contact Samantha Shada at info@samanthashada.com for more information.
