Mariyam, a young Dutch Muslim heavy metal vocalist, realises she might be pregnant. How does she reconcile this news with her different cultural identities and, above all, tell her mother?
The film
Honeycomb is a short film, with a strong focus on the fluidity of identity as it challenges cultural stereotypes. In this case it opens an intimate window into the life of a young Dutch-Pakistani woman.
Photo by Max van Boxel
Inspiration
The story was developed by blending the real life stories of myself and the lead actress, Ayisha Siddiqi. The goal was to write a story that is relatable to countless individuals, whether they be women, third culture kids, Muslim, or anyone who's had difficulty communicating in a parent-child relationship.
Themes
Blood, abortion, Islam, Western Europe, segregation, silence, identity crisis, mother, daughter... if there's at least one uncomfortable term for you listed here, you'll understand that there are not enough stories told that discuss these topics.
The script was selected and developed at the 2019 CinemAsia Filmlab Writer's Room.
The film received the ZOZ Academy Fund for development, with the help of which, the script was further worked on, a reccé was conducted, and a screen test and crowdfunding teaser were produced.
A crowdfunding campaign soon followed, which was a resounding success!
The production of the film is supported by the prestigious Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, and the Gemeente Rotterdam.
The film is currently in pre-production and production is set for early 2021.
Honeycomb is:
Mariyam - Ayisha Siddiqi
Sakina - Taskien Khudabux
Producer - Genny van 't Veer
Cinematographer - Max van Boxel
Assistant producer - Sarah Rome
Script editor - Ravi Sandberg
Stills - Mara Berghout
Writer, director, co-producer - Haider Hussain
