Gauri Awasthi

A 25-year-old New Yorker fears she might be pregnant, forcing her to confront relationships, autonomy, and what it means to choose in a post–Roe v. Wade America.

An older speaker revisits the memory of visiting a temple in her hometown with her grandfather—in this short film, she touches upon her earliest understanding of love.

Set in a small town in India during the festival of Diwali, Dhan Ki Devi follows a day in the life of a child influencer, Ayesha, whose parents have unintentionally traded her innocence in pursuit of social media fame. Using Goddess Lakshmi as a metaphor, the film critiques the commodification of children and the silent loss of childhood in the age of likes and shares.