Time Jump (one to three years later)
There is a Transition to Leila’s finished painting, zooming out from the hole to the entire painting. The hole is decorated and incorporated into the painting in a meaningful way. She goes outside. Leila looks different and more mature in the way she dresses. Her hair is completely natural and she is wearing almost no […]
DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL
When the mom goes back and takes the baby, Leila starts walking around the house but she’s not amazed anymore. The flashiness of the house has worn off, so she goes to her room and looks at her flag and picks up a family photograph. Staring at it, she starts crying. She calls her father […]
Heritage
Back in her room, Leila is on her computer looking for articles and videos about Algeria’s culture and history. She realized that she has no idea about the main natives of Algeria and the empires that influenced her culture. She discovers Queen El Kahina, who is the most famous queen of the Algerian culture. She’s […]
Womanhood
The mom takes the baby back and tells Leila that she has the day free. She goes back to her room. She then receives a phone call–it’s Tatiana. Tatiana tells her that she knows another Au Pair with a big house to herself. Her name is Vidushi. She’s from India. Tatiana invites Leila to come […]
Art As An Outlet
Leila goes to the basement with the baby and finds painting materials. She’s naturally attracted to them and brings them back up. She starts painting while the baby plays with the materials. She starts to get excited about her painting but the baby (covered in paint) touches the painting and messes up the painting. At […]
Identity
Tatiana then asks Leila about her story and why she became an Au Pair. Leila starts sharing her story. Tatiana gets two glasses of wine and assumes that because Leila’s French she should know all about wine. But Leila is Algerian, and Algerians are Muslim. Leila has never had wine in her life but she […]
Tatiana
Arriving in San Francisco, Leila walks around the beautiful streets of San Francisco with the baby. She then decides to go get a coffee somewhere. She gets a croissant and a coffee but is in shock at the price. She sits in the coffee shop with the baby. Another woman sits right next to her. […]
The House and The Family
He stops in front of a beautiful house. Leila looks at the house from top to bottom in disbelief. Suddenly, the front door opens. It’s the family–The mom, the dad, and the baby. They welcome her inside. Leila enters the house, looking all around, amazed by the fanciness of the place. She’s only seen houses […]
Welcome to America
Leila’s journey begins. She takes her flight directly to San Francisco, California. When she gets to the SFO Airport, a private driver comes to pick her up. Looking out the window, Leila is amazed by the city and the diverse landscapes of the Bay Area. Everything is so different. The driver starts going up a […]
The Host Family
In her small studio apartment, Leila starts talking to the family through an online chat room. She uses Google translate and is able to have a good conversation. They decide to do a video chat that same night. Leila gets ready and does her best to manage the call, focusing more on the baby. The […]
