Aisha Tounkara – 2024 Feature Screenplay Winner

Archmere

A serendipitous seating arrangement creates an unlikely friendship between two star-crossed students who find comfort in each other during an unforgettable autumn.

My name is Aisha Tounkara and I’m 22 years old. I recently graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor’s degree in International Politics. Archmere is the result of half a year of unemployment. When I was 16, I made my first friend. This is that story.

It takes place in my hometown in Delaware, and blends fact and fiction as writing and memory often do. With this piece I wanted to convey the pain of nostalgia for what once was and for what never was. I wanted the story to evoke the ever shifting nature of memory.

I’ve never written a script before, but I thought I’d give it a go. I needed an outlet for the pain that I was feeling. When others read it, I hope that they resonate with the feelings of loss associated with adolescence; however, I also want the story to serve as a memento, to the love that did exist, far before we had the language to express it.

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