Writer/Comedian
*These pictures are examples ONLY. Actresses are not attached.
Foreign America
It’s senior year. Mariam is determined to make it unforgettable. But with her strict father, it’s almost impossible to get the real high school experience – almost impossible, but not quite. When Matt, her quarterback crush, invites her to his party, Mariam enlists the help of her best friends, Naya and Cho, to help make this happen.
Together, they are a quirky group of first-generation girls who venture out into trouble for the first time. Mariam, Lebanese, the trendy ringleader, fights for the freedom to go out more. Meanwhile, her crush is slipping away into the hands of Jenny, a pretty and perfect cheerleader.
Made clear by her bindi and jaded attitude, Naya has no interest in fitting in at school. Her dream of being a filmmaker is known by all except her father, who wants her to take over the family business. Naya gets to watch her enemy, Neda – who doesn’t wear a bindi or much clothing at all – have a normal teenage life.
Cho focuses on thwarting her parents’ attempt to set her up with Kang, a family friend’s preppy son. Between avoiding him and her sleazy ex-boyfriend, she has her hands full in the school hallways. Cho is afraid to stand up to her strict mother, and to reveal her real likes (white boys) and dislikes (rice). She also fears ending up like her mother – a submissive wife who obeys her husband’s every command.
The girls decide it’s time to stop spending their Saturday nights playing mundane board games and talking about Justin Timberlake. They hash out a plan to sneak out, but get caught by Naya’s older brother, Amal. Amal agrees to keep quiet as long as they take him along, which Naya reluctantly agrees to do.
The night of the party brings many surprises, much bigger than accidentally getting themselves into a game of Spin-the-Bottle. But the biggest obstacle still remains not getting caught by their parents. When Mariam gets photographed with a boy, Cho runs into her own brother, and Naya stands up to Neda, the girls find the least-expected people coming to their rescue. - or rather, joining their efforts, because they can save themselves ;)