This short film follows Sheba, a high school student who is an aspiring artist. Sheba's mother and father are parents who value education and academic success. Sheba grapples with the delicate balance between honoring her parents' values and nurturing her own artistic aspirations.
[Soft music]
[Sheba’s Father speaking] Math, D. History, D. Chemistry, D.
[Sheba’s Mother speaking] When are you going to get it together, Sheba?
[Sheba’s Father speaking] Look at these abysmal grades. They're embarrassing. Why do you even bother going to school? It's just a body going to school, but do you leave your brain at home?
[Music continues]
[Footsteps approaching and Sheba's mother knocking on the door]
[Sheba's Mother speaking] Sheba, are you still doing your homework?
[Sheba speaking] Yes.
[Sheba's Mother speaking] Great.
[Footsteps retreating]
[Laid-back electronic music]
[Words on screen] Don’t Look Away
[Alarm ringing]
[Sheba sighing]
[Footsteps approaching]
[Sheba's mother knocking on the door)
[Sheba speaking] Yes?
[Door creaking open]
[Sheba's Mother speaking] Can you hurry up? I've got an early meeting today, so I need to leave on time.
[Sheba speaking] I'm good, I'll just catch a ride with Carlos.
[Sheba’s Mother speaking] Okay. I'll see you after school.
[Door creaking shut and Sheba sighs]
[Car starting]
[Gentle music and pencil scratching]
[Sheba's phone keyboard clicking]
[Words on screen/Text message from Carlos] Yo! Where u at?
[Words on screen/Text message from Sheba] Home. Sick
[Words on screen/Text message from Carlos] Seriously? You lying dawg
[Phone clicks off]
[Doorbell rings and Sheba sighs]
[Doorbell rings again]
[Doorbell ringing repeatedly and Sheba sighs]
[Loud knocking]
[Carlos speaking] I know you're in there, dawg. Come out!
(Sheba chuckling)
[Music continues]
[Group laughing and chatting indistinctly]
[Sheba speaking] All right bro, whatever.
[Friend 1 speaking] How come you haven't got caught skipping school yet?
[Sheba speaking] Because I'm slick.
[Friend 1 speaking] Like seriously, man. Summer school is not it. It's not. Do you know how much work I had to catch up on?
[Sheba speaking] Is it that deep?
[Friend 1 speaking] Yeah, bro, it's deep. Get your life together. Soon.
[Sheba speaking[ Okay, I'm trying, like I'm really trying, but I don't think this school thing is for me. Like I just wanna do art.
[Friend 2 speaks Spanish]
[Friend 1 speaking] Why don't you tell your parents you want to go to art school?
[Sheba speaking] You know how African parents be.
[Friend 1 speaking] True man, they do too much.
[Sheba speaking] My parents are annoying as shit they're all like, [Sheba feigning African accent] "do you know how much I had to sacrifice to come to this country?" Like…
[Sheba sighing]
[Friend 2 speaking] Sounds like my Puerto Rican parents, dawg. I guess all immigrant parents are on some crazy stuff you feel me?
[Sheba speaking] Facts.
[Friend 2 speaking] But I think you should tell your parents that you want to go to art school either, if they like it or not.
[Sheba speaking] I'm not doing that.
[Friend 2 speaking] Why not?
[Sheba speaking] Because as long as I live under their roof, I have to live by their rules and do what they say.
[Friend 2 speaking] Hmm. Are you living for your parents or for yourself?
[Sheba speaking] Definitely my parents.
[Friend 2 speaking] That's a shame.
[Friend 1 speaking] Yo, you want some? It'll make you feel better.
[Sheba speaking] I told you that isn't good for you.
[Friend 1 speaking] Bro, mind your business, bro.
(Sheba sighs)
[Silverware clattering]
[Sheba's Mother speaking] Did you do all the homework?
All done.
[Sheba’s Sister speaking] Mommy, look what I made!
[Sheba's Mother speaking] Oh, that's nice. I talked to Siya this afternoon.
[Sheba's Father] Mmm.
[Sheba's Mother speaking] She says Binti is settling in well at Yale. She says she aced her first exams.
[Sheba's Father speaking] Of course. She and Tom did such a great job raising that girl.
[Sheba’s Mother] Mm-hmm.
[Sheba's Father speaking] Z, why can't you be more like your cousin?
[Sheba speaking] Because I'm not like her, we're two different people!
[Sheba's Mother speaking] Nope. If she can excel in school, so can you.
[Sheba's Mother] Mm-hmm.
[Sheba's Father speaking] What's stopping you?
[Sheba speaking] I'm trying!
[Sheba's father sighing]
[Sheba's Mother speaking] Are you really? You are running out of time, Z. You are a junior.
[Sheba speaking] I mean, I'm doing well in AP art. And my art teacher said I should go to art school, so I started an art portfolio.
[Sheba's Father exclaims in disappointment] Art school. So this is your backup plan?
[Sheba speaking] It's not my backup plan, it's my main plan. The only plan.
[Sheba's Father speaking] Let me tell you about my brother Kamau, hmm? "I wanna be artist."
[Sheba speaking] Dad, you've told this story a million times.
[Sheba's Father speaking] And I will keep repeating it until it gets into your head. What did Kamau do? He spent hours and hours drawing. So he failed school. He wouldn't look for a job; said he would do art instead. Do you know what happened to him?
[Sheba speaking] Yeah, we go over this like once a week. He made no money, so he had to move back with my grandparents, he was depressed, so he drank. He then died a painful death, alone and broke.
[Sheba's Father speaking] So you know the story, and still you choose to draw all day rather than do your schoolwork.
[Sheba speaking] Yeah. Uncle and I are two different people.
[Sheba's Father speaking] But you persist in doing exactly what he did. Art doesn't feed you or your family.
[Sheba speaking] Daddy, there's a lot of opportunities for artists out here.
[Sheba's Father speaking] Sheba, listen to me very carefully. You can express yourself however you want, but I want better grades. If you fail, we are sending you back to Kenya. Do you understand?
[Sheba crying]
[Sheba's Sister speaking] Is she okay?
[Sheba's Father speaking] She's fine.
[Somber music]
[Sheba slapping desk] and aggressively ripping paper]
[Sheba sighs]
[Sheba grunts in frustration]
[Sheba's Mother speaking] What the hell is going on?
[Sheba speaking] I can't.
[Sheba's Mother speaking] What are you talking about?
[Sheba speaking] I can't do this anymore.
{Chair sliding on floor]
[Sheba's Mother speaking] What happened?
[Sheba speaking] What's the point of living if I can't do the things I'm passionate about?
[Sheba's Mother speaking] What do you want us to do?
[Sheba speaking] What's the point? You don't listen to me anyway.
[Sheba's Mother speaking] Okay. I'm listening.
[Footsteps as Father enters room]
[Sheba's Mother speaking] We are listening, Z. What's going on?
[Sheba speaking] Just let me live. Let me live my life free.
[Sheba's Father speaking] This is ridiculous!
[Footsteps as Father leaves room]
[Sheba's Mother] Don't worry about him. Did you draw this? You really drew this?
[Sheba's Mother speaking] Wow.
[Gentle music playing in background]
[Sheba's Mother speaking] You are a really great artist. I had no idea. This is incredible.
[Music continues]
[Sheba's Mother speaking] Of course you should go to an art school.
[Sheba speaking] Really?
[Papers rustling]
[Sheba's Mother speaking] But, I need you to do therapy first. Deal?
[Sheba speaking] Deal.
[Laid back electronic music]
[Credits]