Avi Kabir, Director, Writer 

Sloan Grant(s) Received: 2019, NYU Tisch School of the Arts: Production Award

Project Type: Short

Genre: Drama

Length: 10 minutes

Field of Science: Engineering

Stage: Post-Production

Synopsis: 

In a drought-stricken village, young Jugnu and her little brother, Jagah, find refuge in stories—especially the one about Chumantar, a magical tree that turned their mother into a potted plant. They cling to this fragile memory, believing it holds her spirit.

When their father fails to bring back water, the plant begins to wilt. Jugnu steps up. She embarks on a desperate quest to save what little they have left. Sneaking into a guarded construction site for water, she narrowly escapes the clutches of a predatory contractor.

Forced into hiding in the village junkyard, Jugnu finds unexpected inspiration in nature—a spiderweb strung with dew. From the discarded bones of broken umbrellas and old cassette tapes, she engineers a fog catcher—a machine born of science and resilience.

As morning fog curls through the wreckage, droplets gather, slide, and drip—life distilled from air. Jugnu captures enough to water the dying plant.