I'm Mohima, the writer, director, and producer of THE LESSON.

THE STORY:

THE LESSON is a short film about Donna, a mob boss who avenges survivors of abusive relationships. When she realizes the man she loves sympathizes more with the abusers, she has to reevaluate not only her own relationship, but the future of her operation.

Mafia movies have historically lacked diversity and perpetuate a lack of female agency. They have focused on white male power and authority, and were constructed primarily for male audiences, creating male escapist fantasies. THE LESSON takes this and subverts it — it reclaims agency with a complicated, powerful female lead, and explores relationship dynamics when career, power, and ethics are at play.

At its core, THE LESSON asks: what happens when the person you love becomes an existential threat? It’s a story about emotional thresholds, moral limits, and what we’re willing to sacrifice to stay true to our values.

As a South Asian woman in film, I feel a responsibility to make sure the stories and faces of women of color are part of the conversation. My own lived experiences have always informed the characters I create and the stories I tell. Much of my work explores themes of womanhood, our frustrations, our ways of loving, our transformations over the course of a life. In THE LESSON, all of that happens to take place within a mafia backdrop.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Donations will go toward paying our cast and crew wages for their diligent work and talent, as well as covering essential costs that include:

These are only some of the many components vital to bringing this film to life.

THE LESSON is a timely and resonant piece that will be as visually bold as it is thematically rich, and I would love your help with making this film a reality. You've heard it countless times before, but every dollar truly does count, and I would appreciate any help you may be able to provide. Thank you!!