A decade has passed since my family and I moved to the United States, but every night my dreams carry me back to the courtyard of my elementary school. I can still feel the burn of the afternoon sun softened by the cool breeze as I brush aside my neatly combed hair along with my Rose House badge pinned proudly to my uniform. In my dreams, I watch that badge come loose, and I dive after it desperately, fearing it will be lost in the sand. I speak more Tamil and Malayalam in those dreams than I do in real life, as though my heart still remembers where it belongs.

I began this film and digital photography project to celebrate the unique stories and family traditions of my friends and classmates, captured through the objects that hold their memories. The idea grew out of conversations I was h

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