Watch Online Now

1 Min. 30 Sec. HD.

A young and bright Indian immigrant living in Brooklyn does everything her parents, religion, and culture ask of her… until her arranged marriage goes sour. Beyond Lucky (formerly called Lucky,) is an experimental animated documentary short that follows the real life of Lucky Kaur in the USA and India from 2001 to 2021.

The clip below is the first minute and a half of what will eventually be a 15-17 minute short film. It recently won an Awesome Without Borders Grant from The Harnisch Foundation.

• View previous animation awards and film festival screenings. (PDF)

Lucky comes from a religious Sikh family that takes pride in its rich Punjabi heritage. Despite only having arrived in the US at the age of sixteen, Lucky learns English rapidly, excels at school where she becomes class valedictorian, and starts to cultivate some very modern American ambitions. When her arranged marriage inches ever closer, Lucky must walk a tightrope between two cultures, as fate and tradition threaten to take her decisions away little by little.

After facing one obstacle after another, Lucky completely reinvents herself in ways that shock and upset her family. The film explores Lucky’s transformation from girl to woman, from foreigner to local, and from reverent to self-empowered.

More information and updates on this project to come. Please stay tuned.