Your Pain Was Born Here is an experimental docu-narrative and coming of age story highlighting the stories of Blackness, self-discovery, and community. The story follows director Mina and her team traveling throughout five different countries in Europe, and develops around the interviews with individuals she meets along her journey.
This film aims to deepen conversations and bridge the gap between the African American communities and the greater Black diaspora. Through this process, the film wove itself into a love letter to herself & the Black community.
This journey started in 2017, just after Trump's first election, at the tender age of 19, and my first presidential election I could participate in. I was grappling with what his presidency meant for the country's future. Now, at 28, this project has come full circle. The very issues that inspired this project are even more urgent today. This is an opportunity to reflect on how far we've come, but also to recognize just how far we still have to go.
The moment we're living in demands something deeper, something intentional. Over the past several years, I've poured my heart into this project and into my communities. And now as I prepare to share it, I'm filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. At its core, this work is about elevating voices from the Black diaspora; voices that are vital to shaping the future of democracy and our world.
This work responds to the that need by exploring the intersection of the Black American experience and the broader global diasporic perspectives, all while examining the state of democracy, identity, and community.
For me, this isn't just a film. It's a deeply personal exploration of identity, race, and the shifting landscapes of power that have influenced by life but the lives of so many within the diaspora. These voices, often overlooked or silenced, hold the key to understanding who are are and where we need to go.