And I’ll tell you why.

Bear with me for a second while I rant about recent US history. Deep in the heart of America’s Western Bible Belt, Arkansas has always been a contentious state when it comes to abortion. Then, on June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court's overturned Roe v. Wade, making abortion in Arkansas illegal except when the life of the mother is in danger. But before you go jumping up and down thinking it may be easy to prove this latest point, the law does not make exceptions for seeking an abortion as a result of rape or incest. In fact, doctors found to have performed an abortion face up to 10 years in prison and fines up to US$100,000.

It is a shame that in a modern society a woman has to resort to subterfuges and expensive travels out of state, just to exercise her rights. A woman’s womb is her own, I believe wholeheartedly and have always failed to understand those who think otherwise. It’s abusive to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her unborn child. And no, a fetus is not a baby, it is little more than an amoeba at that point — lacking a mind and soul. And when I contracted an amoeba (Amebiasis) on a trip to Ethiopia in the 1990’s, I got rid of it. ASAP.

In her directorial debut, London born Nazrin Choudhury has tackled the journey of a single mother of two from Arkansas, who is forced to travel with her daughter across state lines to secure a very necessary abortion. The 22-minute short, titled Red White and Blue (the colors of the American flag) has been nominated for the 96th Academy Awards in the Best Live Action Short Film category and deservedly so.

Red White and Blue stars Brittany Snow as the mother, Maddy, and Juliet Donenfeld as her pre-teen daughter, with actress Mo Collins in a pivotal role. One that gives women everywhere some hope in humankind.

Born and raised in London to Bangladeshi parents, Choudhury studied Biomedical Science at King’s College London. After her first foray into screenwriting garnered her a Focus on Talent Award with DNA Films, she left the pursuit of medicine and a brief career in politics to focus on her writing career.

And thank goodness she did. Awarded a scholarship by Channel4/Film 4, Choudhury graduated with an MA in Screenwriting at the Northern Film School (Leeds Metropolitan University) and went on to write for several primetime UK television shows, including British soaps Coronation Street and Eastenders. She received the the Imison award for her critically-acclaimed play Mixed Blood and an Arts Council of England award for her novel-in-progress My England.

Choudhury moved to Los Angeles in 2012 where she continues to work successfully as a writer-producer/showrunner on shows such as Jack Ryan, Fear the Walking Dead, Damien and Blood & Treasure. She also wrote a feature, American Radical for Universal Studios starring Rami Malek with Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot) attached to direct.

Red White and Blue marks Choudhury’s directorial debut, and she has entered that arena with a bang. The film is a must watch, if for nothing else, to understand deeply the human problems with the reversal of Roe v. Wade. The film touches on the nuances of men signing into effect a law that affects women and what the true repercussions of that can be. And if you think you know what I’m talking about when it comes to this short film, or think it could in any way turn out to be a predictable story, watch it! It will blow your mind.

It did blow mine. And that doesn’t happen often.