The Return

Logline

A film about the homelands you inherit—and the ones you’re brave enough to challenge.

Impact Statement

“The Return responds to the global rise of nationalism and the erosion of democratic and minority rights. Through an intimate story of family, exile, and dissent in India, the film speaks to audiences across the Americas, Europe, South Asia, and the diaspora facing similar threats. Our impact goal is to spark dialogue about confronting extremism within families and communities. We will partner with human rights, pro-democracy, and civil society organizations to host community screenings, facilitated discussions, and workshops. Through an adaptable screening toolkit and educational resources, we aim to support audiences in defending free expression, pluralism, and democratic values.”

Partners Attached

• PBS/Firelight Media
• Center for Asian American Media

Goal at Take on Film & Impact

“At Movies That Matter, we aim to connect with experienced impact producers and human rights NGOs focused on freedom of expression, countering extremism, and democratic resilience. We are seeking partners to co-design and implement an international impact campaign, featuring facilitated screenings, workshops, and educational distribution across Europe, South Asia, and diasporic communities. We also aim to connect with European public broadcasters, cultural institutions, universities, journalist associations, and foundations that support civic dialogue, media freedom, and human-rights education.”

Participants

Sanjna Selva is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, journalist, and producer raised between Malaysia and Singapore, and based in New York City and Tunisia. Her directorial debut, ‘Call Me Anytime, I’m Not Leaving the House’, was distributed by PBS in 2022, becoming the first film about the Russian invasion of Ukraine to be broadcast in North America. Other non-fiction works she has produced in the United States, Malaysia, and Singapore have been supported by and featured on CBS, the International Center of Photography, The New Museum, Firelight Media, and Center for Asian American Media. Sanjna is a member of Global Impact Producers Alliance (GIPA) and works as an impact producer and consultant on projects with PBS, Al Jazeera, and Belly of the Beast.

Anjali Kamat is a Peabody, duPont, and RFK award–winning documentary filmmaker, journalist, and writer, and a multiple Emmy nominee. A newly-named 2026 United States Artists Fellow, THE RETURN is her first feature documentary. She has been a senior reporter at Reveal (Center for Investigative Reporting), an investigative reporter at New York Public Radio, a fellow at Type Media Center, and a producer, correspondent, and co-host at Democracy Now!. Fluent in Arabic, she covered the 2011 Arab uprisings from Egypt and Libya. Raised in Chennai, India, Anjali is based in New York City.

Rehan Ansari is a New York–based writer, filmmaker, and playwright whose work explores borders, identity, and political memory. Born in Karachi, Pakistan, he has worked as a journalist in both India and Pakistan, serving as Foreign Editor at Daily News and Analysis and as a columnist for Mid-Day Mumbai. He collaborated on Ashis Nandy’s Partition narratives project in New Delhi and Lahore. His play Unburdened has been staged internationally, including in Buffalo and Prague. THE RETURN is his first feature documentary. He was a 2024 Creative Change Artist-in-Residence at the Laundromat Project.

Contact: Sanjna SelvaWatch the teaser trailer