To’oborni (2023)
Written and Directed by Lara Bedewi

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Tensions rise at home when Salma's family braces for a visit from Lebanese relatives. After not having seen them in over 20 years, her mother and teta return to Middle Eastern traditions in order to impress. However, as a high school senior struggling with her own identity, Salma must choose between being the daughter her mother wants to present to them, and being herself.

Festivals & Screenings
AFMI Arab Film Festival 2023
Philadelphia Film Society Local Film Showcase 2023
Arab Film Festival @ The Arab American National Museum 2024
The Women’s Film Festival 2024
Soho International Film Festival 2024
AFMI Arab Film Festival 2024 (Creators Showcase Special Presentation)
Batikh Batikh Collective: See You at Home No Matter What 2025 screening, co-presented by cinéSPEAK
Lebanese Independent Film Festival 2024
Cinema Fortuna 2025
New Jersey International Short Festival 2025 (Best First Time Short Filmmaker Award Winner)
AFMI Arab Heritage Month 2026: Arab American Stories Shorts Program
Fitler Club: “Motherhood Unscripted” Local Shorts Film Festival 2026

Director’s Statement:
As an Arab-American woman with a mixed Lebanese, Egyptian, and Palestinian background, the experiences depicted in To'oborni are deeply personal for me. Having left everything to immigrate to America, my family made strong efforts to preserve their culture and values from back home. However, living in the states for many years created a rift across generations, leading the younger members of my family to lose reverence for some of these customs. Growing up, I often found myself at the center of this conflict, just as Salma, the protagonist of this film, has to choose whether to play into lost traditions for her mother’s sake, or stay true to herself.

To'oborni is one of those untranslatable phrases. In Arabic, it literally means “may you put my casket in the ground,” the subtext being, “so that I don’t have to live a single day on this earth without you”. Although it sounds somber, To’oborni is a beautiful expression of unconditional love that embodies complex family dynamics, both in this film and in my community.

This film portrays three generations of Arab women struggling with self-image, tradition, and reputation. In directing To’oborni, my goal was to color each role with nuance, being careful to subvert the tropes found within our community that depict complex humans as one-note. Though we may be capable of inflicting hurt upon those dear to us in the name of love, we are also capable of profound compassion. That is at the heart of To’oborni.

Starring:
Deema Turkomani
Lara J. Barry
Randa Radwan
Fahad Ahmad
Abdullah Naser

Produced by:
Lara Bedewi
Jamie Agins
Zoe Culver
Emma Wolynez

Cinematography by:
Dylan Lepre

Edited by:
Julia DeFusco

Original Score:
William Michael