What does it mean to migrate?
This film explores that question, and the lasting legacy of migration in a tale specific to Jamaica, yet universal to the immigrant experience.
The Story
Farrin follows the intertwined lives of two young women, Maya and Sheree, as they navigate identity, family, and migration. Maya, a 25-year-old artist from New York, receives a grant to travel to Jamaica, despite her mother’s insistence on pursuing a more practical career. After downloading a dating app and meeting Sharice, a young Jamaican woman who dreams of migrating to the U.S. to reunite with her mother, the two women form an unlikely partnership
However, as their lives and family histories become more entangled, their aspirations begin to conflict, unraveling their plans. Maya’s path is disrupted when her long-lost aunt reveals a buried family secret, forcing Maya to reconsider her project and her mother’s protective instincts. Meanwhile, Sheree’s attempts to fund her visa application spiral out of control, driving her to make increasingly morally questionable decisions, placing both women’s lives at risk, as they work to separate their true aspirations from their families.
Words from the Creatives
A Note from The Writer/Director
I grew up visiting Jamaica, and though the homeland of my parents, in my eyes it was the land of vacation and of story– only partially real, that is until recently. I’ve spent the most recent phase of my life in Kingston, Jamaica, and the longer I spend the more friends I’ve watched leave on their way to the US, Canada, or England. And as they questioned who they’d become in this new country, it made me reflect upon the reverse–” who I had always been”. Living in Jamaica made me reflect on the customs, beliefs, traumas, and desires I had absorbed from a culture I hadn’t grown up with.
‘Farrin’, the film, emerges from that dichotomy, exploring the lasting impact of past and present migration, particularly during the pivotal and often uneasy transition into adulthood. It’s a story I’ve been a part of my entire life, that’s both specific to Jamaica, yet universal in its relevance to the immigrant experience.
A Note from the Producer
Joining Farrin as a producer, I was drawn to the story because it deeply resonated with my experience as a Third Culture Kid (TCK)—someone who spends a significant part of their childhood in a culture different from their parents’. Growing up in Hong Kong and Singapore, I understood the complexities of navigating multiple cultural identities, much like Maya, the film’s protagonist, who grapples with what it means to ultimately, shape her own Jamaican-American identity.
For many TCKs, the challenge goes beyond language and cultural references; it’s about the feeling of disconnection from a true “hometown” and the struggle to fully understand one’s heritage. Maya’s journey captures the nuances of hyphenated identities and the often-overlooked reality of being caught between cultures. Farrin provides a rare and powerful opportunity for those of us who share this experience to see our inner conflicts reflected on screen.