Set in London, the film follows Amir, a young Bangladeshi boy studying abroad. He lives with his elder brother in London while the rest of his family live back in Bangladesh. Amir leads a double life – His parents know of him as an innocent, sinless boy whereas Amir is someone who occasionally drinks, smokes cannabis and is sexually active – all of which go against his religion. Once a pious boy due to his religious upbringing, Amir does not know if he believes in God or religion anymore. Yet he pretends to pray and fast to keep his parents happy. Frustrated and unable to live a lie anymore, Amir one day decides to confess to his parents via email. Little does he know that his parents are in London for a surprise Eid visit – and that he must deal with this situation in person.

Director’s Vision

“This Is Me” is a coming-of-age social drama revolving around generational conflict. Inspired by various true events, the film explores topics such as brown identity, growing up Muslim, cultural upbringing & societal conditioning while having underlying themes of guilt and acceptance.

This film is inspired by real-life experiences; consisting of both first-hand observations of people growing up in conservative Muslim families, and personal stories. Exploring subject matter considered taboo and controversial in many cultures initially felt daunting. Some of my close friends and family members had even suggested discarding this script. Naturally, I was (and probably still am) somewhat anxious to tell this tale. However, I soon realized the potential this film holds and the impact it can have, both societally and culturally. It felt timely and the right narrative for my thesis – all the debate had rooted a burning desire in me to tell this story, and now there was no looking back. This is a story where differences are put aside, and love wins over everything else. I hope this film resonates with or moves the audience, especially people of South Asian backgrounds who may have had similar thoughts, feelings or experiences.