Why This Film Matters
After losing her parents, a young woman living in the Netherlands faces a question many migrants and second-generation families know too well: what do you carry forward when home is no longer a place, but a memory?
On Christmas Eve in The Hague, Natalia decides to pass on a family tradition to her daughter: a ritual that requires something very specific and very impractical: a live carp.
What follows is a frantic, absurd, and at times uncomfortable journey, because transitions rarely look neat.
A Story About Migration, Loss, and Love
At its core, this film is not about a fish. It is about grief after the loss of parents. It is about motherhood in a foreign country. It is about the fear that if you don’t act now, something precious will vanish forever.
For many people living abroad, traditions become the last tangible connection to those who are gone. They are acts of love and sometimes acts of stubbornness. This film captures that tension with warmth, humor, and honesty.
Why Us
Veronika is a writer, director, and creative producer with professional training in film and video production. Her work spans documentaries and short-form films developed across Europe, the UK, and Canada. A serial expat who has lived in seven countries, she brings a unique perspective on stories shaped by migration, identity, and cultural rituals. Now based in the Netherlands, she continues to develop internationally minded projects alongside raising her daughters.
Ivanna (producer/editor) is a Ukrainian-born film editor, motion graphic designer and film producer, with more than 15 years experience in film and video production, post-production, and animation. Now based in the Netherlands, she continues to explore stories through film and animation.
How Your Support Helps
Your contribution will directly support the film production:
- Production and location shooting in The Hague, Netherlands
- Cast and crew expenses
- Ethical handling of live animals
Join Us
By backing this project, you aren’t just funding a short film; you’re supporting a story about identity and the lengths we go to for the people we love. We believe Natalia’s frantic quest will resonate with anyone who has ever felt like a foreigner, anyone who has ever missed their parents, and anyone who has ever tried to make a "perfect" holiday happen against all odds.
Let’s bring the carp home.
Organiser
Ivanna Laka
Organiser