Yatra

To heal after her mother’s sudden death, Aney, an Indian-American doctor, returns to rural India to change the system that killed her mother.

She rallies a ragtag group of volunteers to run a clinic for village outcasts, and there she meets Farida—a promising, wisecracking teenager from a wandering tribe. While Aney solves the tribe’s long-standing ailments, the unconditional love she receives from Farida begins to set Aney free from the trauma of her mother’s death.

Then the unthinkable happens.

COVID sweeps India and Aney’s work grinds to a halt. She’s forced to flee back to the US. Meanwhile, Farida’s father dies of COVID when the hospital kicks him out because he runs out of money. Farida’s life turns upside down. She drops out of school and is forced to prepare herself to be married off. Seeing both her dreams and Farida’s life unravel, Aney quits her job and jets back to India … hopefully before it's too late.

Filmed over seven years, this deeply personal East-meets-West story of mutual healing shows how the sufferings and joys of the human experience blurs borders and boundaries; countries and caste.

Aney & Farida

FILM SUBJECTS

From Gujarat, India, at opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum, Aney and Farida’s paths first crossed at a medical camp in rural Gujarat. The two became fast friends and quickly realized they had much more in common than their world-apart appearances would suggest. Having each lost a parent in India to medical tragedies, they unite to heal and turn their scars into stars.

Matt Alesevich & Hemal Trivedi

DIRECTORS

Co-directors of Yatra, Matt and Hemal have been creative collaborators since 2020. Combining their skills in writing and photojournalism; directing and editing, the two founded the production company, Zero Infinity. Together they’ve created content for the world’s biggest brands—from Google and Uber—and their films have received nominations at the world’s top awards shows—from the Oscars to the Emmys.

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It takes a village…

In collaboration with trusted partners in the US and India, we’re committed to supporting Aney and her team as they bring long-awaited healthcare programs and infrastructure to the Mir community in rural Gujarat.

Like documentary filmmaking—on-the-ground action is a team effort that calls for the time and talent of a passionate array of hearts, minds, and souls.

Join the growing list of people and organizations working together to make a difference.