short Documentary film “تاروشي”

تاروشي is a short documentary that explores the life of a young girl in Sri Lanka whose mother regularly travels to Saudi Arabia to work as a domestic laborer. Left behind to live with her grandmother, Taroshi is one of many children in the Global South who grow up in the shadow of economic migration, often without their parents beside them.

The story of the film unfolds through Taroshi’s eyes — her memories, her emotions, and her quiet resilience. Her mother left when she was just 5 years old and returned only when she was 9. And yet, after a short stay, her mother is preparing to leave again, driven by the hope of one day building a home of her own. The film reveals not just the sacrifice of migrant workers, but the silent emotional cost their children bear — growing up in physical absence, yet emotionally attached.

While many people in wealthier countries like Saudi Arabia fail to recognize the human cost behind the labor they depend on, this film aims to shift that perspective. It reminds the viewer that behind every cleaner or maid is a human story — of motherhood, distance, longing, and sacrifice.

The documentary was created in 2021 as part of the “كيف تحكي الحكاية” (How to Tell the Story) film camp in Sri Lanka, organized by acclaimed Egyptian journalist Assaad Taha. The camp gathers young filmmakers from across the Arab world — including Egypt, Tunisia, Qatar, Lebanon, and Libya — to produce real, raw, human-centered stories in an international setting.

I worked as videographer, video editor, and co-director on this project. My role involved capturing emotional visual scenes, directing the tone and flow of the film, and shaping the final edit to emphasize empathy and awareness. The result is a powerful 5-minute short that gives voice to a child whose life has been shaped by global inequality — a voice rarely heard in mainstream media.