logline

In a small coastal town in Maine, during the final month of high school, Nathan, a Congolese-American boy, balances his dreams, his love for cinema, and the expectations of his overbearing but loving immigrant mother.

“Why do you want to be like these Mondele?” (white)

SYNOPSIS

Nathan, on the cusp of adulthood, wants to attend film school in New York—cliché, maybe, but for him, it’s everything. He channels his passion into parody films while facing the reality of leaving home and carrying the weight of his Congolese heritage. His goal is simple: Finish his final high school film and get his mom to sign his FAFSA form.

Mary, a single mother, works as a house cleaner to provide for Nathan and his younger brother, Benji. She sacrificed everything for a better life, but embracing change is hard. She is, and will always be, Congolese. America won’t change that. As Nathan prepares to leave, Mary struggles with losing control and asks herself, What’s next?