Our film draws inspiration from a moment we witnessed at a preschool. Here, a young girl's deep disappointment over her ice cream caught our attention. While the boys got their ice cream for work done, she got hers without having to do anything for it. We were struck by how the girl instinctively recognized a troubling pattern that she might encounter throughout her life: boys are rewarded for achievement, girls for conforming to traditional roles.Essentially, “PAYDOS” tells the story of this girl who said 'No.' “PAYDOS,”is the Turkish word for 'Recess', but 'Paydos!' is also what you say when you want something to stop. With her 'No' to an ice cream, Leyla, the young protagonist of our film, challenges traditional gender and societal roles and creates her personal Paydos-moment. A simple 'No,' a small act, but one that could have significant consequences.We brought our film to life in a magical place to which we've had a personal connection for years. It's a village on the Aegean coast, where the community played an integral role in every aspect of the film. Countless villagers contributed to the film, serving as location scouts, caterers, drivers, and even ice cream makers. The children actors, most of whom grew up in the village and attend school there, have been particularly essential. Notably, they improvised their dialogues, and we filmed based solely on a storyboard.While deeply rooting the film in that very village, we also wanted to give it a fairytale-like quality by transplanting the story into an unspecified time. While we leave Leyla's fate unknown, we trust that her Paydos-moment will resonate not only with her but with all those who believe in the power of standing up for what's right, no matter how small the act may seem.”

I made Family Ties as a love letter to my son Jeremiah. Since becoming a father, I've realized that parenting is full of surprises. Every day, my son challenges and inspires me in new ways. However, as a working parent, I worry about the influence of digital technology on my son. With everyone having access to a camera and calling themselves influencers on YouTube, we need to be mindful of who and what our children are learning from. I know that technology can be a powerful tool for learning and entertainment, but I also worry about how it can be used to isolate and distract children. This became even more prevalent during the lockdowns of the pandemic, when so many of us had to rely on technology to work. But at the same time, it has helped us teach our children things that we couldn't have possibly imagined. Hopefully, the film will highlight the need for us to develop a healthy relationship with technology so that we can all benefit from it. As a black father, it's important to me to show positive examples on film. There is a narrative that black men are more likely to not be in their children's lives. I want to disprove that by showing a simple hike, which I couldn't even find reference pictures for when I was developing the film. By showing a positive and present black father, I hope to help dispel that exaggerated narrative.