Preparation for the Next Life follows an undocumented immigrant and a U.S. war veteran who find an unexpected connection in one another.
Sebiye Behtiyar [seh-BEE-ya BEH-tee-yar] makes her feature film debut as Uyghur [WEE-gur] immigrant Aishe, who’s trying to make a life for herself in New York City. She forms a bond with troubled young war veteran Skinner, played by Fred Hechinger [HECK-in-jurr], and together they try to imagine a better future for themselves.
Behtiyar, who is of Uyghur descent and speaks three languages like her character, felt an immediate connection to the project, but didn’t assume she’d get the role because she was only just starting out.
“I wasn’t prepared for such a complex character as Aishe, but meeting all those incredible people [in the cast and crew] just gave me so [much] strength and support and love to just bring a little bit [of] myself and my understanding of this character,” she tells ABC Audio.
Hechinger says every cast and crew member “felt like they had a personal investment in the movie,” and both he and Behtiyar are eager for audiences to connect with the story as well, particularly given what’s going on with immigration in the U.S. today.
Behtiyar says she hopes the film reminds people we are all human beings who “share feelings” and “face different kinds of pain.”
“We made this movie because it spoke to our hearts and our lives,” Hechinger adds. “And it’s kind of wild that it’s coming out when it’s become even more relevant and important in that way, but I really just think everyone seeing it with their open heart is what counts.”
Preparation for the Next Life, from Oscar-nominated director Bing Liu, is in select theaters now.
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