Producer's Bio
Elizabeth Grupp is born and raised New Yorker with life experiences in culturally diverse areas in and outside of New York and the East Coast. Prior to pursuing her lifelong passion of film, Elizabeth worked in Social Work in inner city Brooklyn. She has a strong sense of compassion with a yearning to spread awareness and help others. When deciding to change career paths, she promised herself that her values of exposing societal and individual issues in hopes for creating change would continue through the creative platform of Film across all genres. Her previous works include highlighting the mental health impact that technology can have on social development, gender identity struggles, and political corruption.
Producer's Statement
"As a Creative Producer, I view each project as a reflection of my own core values in both my personal and professional life. Therefore, it is very important for me to select projects that I not only believe in the power of the narrative story, but the integrity of the message projected onto its viewers. Each film is an opportunity to open up the minds of others, expose issues, exponentially create compassion with hopes for catalyzing change. My passion lies in helping bring forth narrative stories that reflect real life problems happening to groups and individuals around the world that I believe would impact others if they were aware. Many individuals and communities live in the dark with their daily life experiences, unnecessary pain, and unjust treatment. As a producer, by partnering with directors and screenwriters, I can help bring these stories out of the shadows and into public knowledge.
I believe Aleeya is a story that needs to be told. Many Transgenders are living in the dark and deeply impacted in every area of their life simply because they were born the wrong sex. As an American, I know the struggles that transgendered individuals feel here and that is without the societal limitations that exist in India. The simple emotional struggle of identity is enough to cause many emotional health struggles and when you add the shame society casts and the occupational and lifestyle inhibition, a recipe for disaster occurs and ruins lives.
What I really like about this story is the perspective and characterization of Aleeya. She is far from a victim. She is a tough, determined, optimist despite the world around her. Dramatic elements expose the “ugliness” of hate, but her character brings a level of motivation that this is not a hopeless issue. I believe in Aleeya and want to bring this story to life and share it with an array of audiences."
-Betsey Grupp
Writer/Director Bio
Nina Mahesh is an Indian American screenwriter and director based in NYC. Her work aims to highlight underrepresented communities, whether it be to create awareness, showcase a new point of view or to simply provoke empathy for the unknown. Her work has explored the roles of gender, race and privilege in our world.
Writer/Director Statement
"I was first introduced to India’s ‘third gender’ as a small child on a trip to India with my family. A transgender female came up to us and begged for money. My aunt quickly pulled me away. I do not recall her exact words, but I know they were meant to get me away from that person as fast as possible. Naturally, I grew a fear of that person and anyone that resembled her. As I grew up and kept visiting, that fear slowly turned into curiosity and then into empathy. As a society we have failed these people entirely. In India, where homophobia and intolerance run rampant, it is nearly impossible for a third gender person to find a normal job. Instead, they are left to a life of begging and selling their bodies to make ends meet.
While there are many documentaries documenting the struggle transgenders in India endure, there is not much narrative work. Often when there is, they are depicted in a brutal fashion, shown as crass, mean, bullies, when in reality the world has bullied them.
Aleeya allows us a look into the day in the life of a transgender female. It’s a way to expose this world to people, giving a chance for us to correct misconceptions and intolerances, and feel the humanity that we all share. To me, at its core, Aleeya is a simple love story. Girl meets boy, they fall in love, and then reality hits. This is a universal story, with the universal conflicts of desire versus duty, self vs society, and love vs hate, and one that I hope can shed light on an area in society we have ignored for far too long."
-Nina Mahesh
Collaboration
In an effort to expand her network beyond her year of potential alliances, Elizabeth ventured into the hall during a Columbia Film “matchmaking” event for Directors/Producers/Writers. Coincidentally, Nina had a similar experience that led her to branch out. Their initial conversation revealed similarities in their tenets and goals of filmmaking: exposing humanity and society through narrative realism. This evolved into a more concrete discussion about the potential partnership on collaborating on Aleeya. With similar moral objectives, visions and complimentary professional strengths, Elizabeth and Nina agreed on their first collaboration of bringing the seldomly told story of hardship for a transgender in Muslim, Indian society to life.