Film

For more information about Neelum Films productions (and official film trailers) directed by Mara Ahmed, please visit www.NeelumFilms.com. A list of past and upcoming film screenings is available here.

The Injured Body unpacks racism through honest conversations about racial microaggressions with a diverse group of women of color involved in community work in Western New York. The film’s title is inspired by Claudia Rankine’s book, Citizen: An American Lyric. The film weaves together an alternative narrative told through dance to highlight the impact of racism on our bodies and well-being.

The Injured Body (2025)

Return to Sender (2023)

A Thin Wall (2015)

Pakistan One on One (2011)

The Muslims I Know (2008)

Return to Sender: Women of Color in Colonial Postcards & the Politics of Representation is a short film that explores Orientalist images of Indian women circulated as postcards during the British Raj. It opens up a conversation about objectification, beauty standards, identity, the colonial male gaze, and otherness. The film premiered on Oct 1st, 2023 at Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington, New York, and was followed by a community discussion. This project was supported by a NYSCA grant administered by the Huntington Arts Council.

Experimental short film: In 2021, Mara Ahmed’s Le Mot Juste [Part One] was selected for a juried exhibition by the South Asia Institute in Chicago. Diasporic Rhizome, SAI’s first virtual exhibition, ran from March 15th – May 15th 2021. More info here.