Until He’s Back Discussion Guide

After learning that his son, Yahya, has died at sea trying to get to Spain, Ahmed Tchiche must find a way to bring his remains back home to Morocco so he and his family can have a proper goodbye. Through interweaving threads, Until He's Back explores the dangerous journey—crossing the Gibraltar Strait from Africa to Spain—and the difficulty of returning the bodies of those who drown at sea.

This guide is an invitation to dialogue. It is based on a belief in
the power of human connection and designed for people who
want to use Until He’s Back to engage family, friends, classmates,
colleagues, and communities. In contrast to initiatives that foster
debates in which participants try to convince others that they are
right, this document envisions conversations undertaken in a spirit
of openness in which people try to understand one another and
expand their thinking by sharing viewpoints and listening actively.

The discussion prompts are intentionally crafted to help a wide
range of audiences think more deeply about the issues in the film.
Rather than attempting to address them all, choose one or two that
best meet your needs and interests. And be sure to leave time to
consider taking action. Planning next steps can help people leave
the room feeling energized and optimistic, even in instances when
conversations have been difficult.

For more detailed event planning and facilitation tips, visit https://communitynetwork.amdoc.org/.

About the Author

Swetha Regunathan
SWETHA REGUNATHAN is a writer and filmmaker with
an MFA from NYU’s graduate film program and a PhD
in English literature from Brown University. Her films
as a writer, director, and producer have played festivals
like Tribeca, True/False, New Orleans Film Festival,
MDFF, Big Sky, and HollyShorts, and on platforms like
NOWNESS, Hulu, Short of the Week, and NoBudge. Her
scripts were selected for the 2023 NYU Purple List, 2023
NYU Production Lab Development Studio, 2020 Cine
Qua Non Lab, and 1497 South Asian writers lab. She
was a finalist for the Showtime® Tony Cox Screenplay
Competition, and she’s received awards from the BlueCat
Screenplay Competition, Peter S. Reed Foundation,
Rhode Island Foundation, and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
She was also a 2020–21 Gotham (IFP) Marcie Bloom
Fellow. Regunathan has published in Huffington Post,
n+1, Guernica, and other publications. In 2009 she was
nominated for a Pushcart Prize for best American essay.

DISCUSSION GUIDE PRODUCERS
Courtney B. Cook, Phd | Education Manager, POV
Anna Yarbrough | Education Editor, POV

THANKS TO THOSE WHO REVIEWED AND CONTRIBUTED TO THIS RESOURCE:

Sydney Schmidt, Community Engagement Intern, POV