First Cut

A bold and deeply personal documentary from British South Asian filmmaker Maleena Pone; commissioned as part of Channel 4's First Cut strand. The film follows Pone as she tries to repair her complicated relationship with her mother Jasbir and confront the legacy of silence, grief and alcoholism that has shaped their family. Filmed across the UK and Costa Rica, it charts an unfiltered journey through love, resentment and recovery. At the centre of the story is an ayahuasca ceremony that's a catalyst for change and a raw emotional reckoning; forcing both women to face painful truths and see each other beyond the labels of 'mother' and 'daughter'. Told through years of personal footage, photos and diaries, this film captures a side of British Punjabi family life rarely seen on screen as it unpacks how trauma passes through generations, and what it means to break the cycle.