The Romantix Transform Family Story of Resilience into Powerful Short Film

'Brown Brit' follows a woman’s journey from an arranged marriage in 1987 India to her new life on a North London council estate raising three children.

Told through real archival VHS footage from the ‘80s and ‘90s, and created by her family and friends (including her three daughters), this film is a tribute to a mother’s resilience, her bravery in defying societal norms, and her unwavering commitment to forging her own destiny, for both herself and for her daughters.

“Brown Brit is based on My Mother’s Metamorphosis; a published piece written by my sister. It is a personal and emotional story about our mum that very few people know. Since Ashica wrote it 12 years ago, we always wanted to adapt it into a film. Upon finding a box of old VHS tapes with footage of our mother, we decided to create Brown Brit. Similarly to how a delicate flutter of a butterfly’s wings can set off a chain reaction across the world, my mother’s actions have had a profound impact on all of our lives. I can only hope that this film inspires people and acts as a reminder of the strength and influence within each of us.” said Jay Stephen (director, The Romantix).

Although the film was majority made up from archival VHS tapes, additional footage was needed in order to fill in the missing parts of the story. These shots were filmed over a two day shoot with only the directors, actors and two crew members. All new footage was then authentically converted back to analogue by post production house, Time Based Arts, to blend seamlessly with the rest of the film.

Upon completion of the film, Brown Brit was acquired by Channel 4 and broadcast live in April 2024.

It was curated as a part of ‘Defiance’; a series exploring British Asian stories, to run alongside Riz Ahmed’s three part documentary of the same name.

The filmmaker’s mother (protagonist of Brown Brit) was completely unaware of the film being made and hadn’t ever seen the footage of herself from nearly 40 years earlier. An intimate surprise screening was organised for her to watch it for the first time with her family.