A Young Woman’s Journey of Healing and Helping Others After Loss in Oscar Contender ‘Where The Light Enters You’

The Oscar-nominated short documentary Where the Light Enters You opens with a stark scene at a bustling hospital in India, where a throng of people presses to gain entry.

“Ma’am, please call security,” a doctor urges an administrator. “Everyone is rushing in to ask to be treated.”

Aney Patel, the film’s central figure, understands this chaotic reality all too well. When a car accident left her mother Alka severely injured, immediate medical assistance was tragically unavailable.

“She wasn’t taken to the hospital in time,” Aney reflects in the documentary. “I blamed it on the system. She would have had a chance if even one person cared enough that night. She didn’t need to die that day.”

Aney Patel (center) in ‘Where the Light Enters You’

Following her mother’s death, Aney and her siblings relocated to the United States. Motivated to improve medical care in her native country, she returned to India as a volunteer in the rural State of Gujarat, where she met filmmaker Matt Alesevich, co-director of Where the Light Enters You, alongside Hemal Trivedi.

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Originally, Alesevich intended to depict the stories of various physicians attempting to address the medical care shortage in the world’s most populous nation. However, his collaboration with Trivedi shifted the focus significantly.

Farida Mir in ‘Where the Light Enters You.’ Behind her is director Hemal Trivedi.

Trivedi, a seasoned filmmaker, recalled, “When Matt came to me, he had this hard drive of footage with 20-odd doctors that he had been following, and he wanted to edit a fundraising sizzle. There was something about Aney that I gravitated toward.”

Her perspective resonated with Trivedi, who remarked, “I was born and raised in India, so seeing the healthcare problems there was not new to me. But Aney’s idealism and innocence struck me. It was refreshing, and I wanted to see how she would tackle these healthcare challenges.”

Aney thus emerged as the film’s compelling focal point, showcasing her efforts to hold medical “camps” in the village of Dasada and surrounding areas, addressing the needs of underserved populations impacted by recurring health issues tied to access to clean drinking water and malaria transmission.

Aney Patel (right) with Farida Mir in ‘Where the Light Enters You’

In the film, Aney admits her mission originated from a savior complex, stemming from guilt over her mother’s death. As the documentary unfolds, it follows her journey toward setting achievable goals in helping others.

“Life was messy and inconsistent,” Aney reflects during a Q&A at Vista House. “I realized that instead of imposing my perspective, I needed to listen to what people need and what their problems are.”

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The term “two-hander” aptly describes Where the Light Enters You, which features not only Aney but also Farida Mir, a teenage girl from a marginalized community. Unlike many girls her age, Farida pursued education encouraged by her father, Kalubhai, until Covid claimed his life, drastically altering her family’s circumstances.

Kalubhai’s declining health led him to a private hospital where, due to financial constraints, he was forced to leave and sent to a government hospital that was already at capacity.

“You priced someone’s life,” Aney emotionally states in the film. “He died because he didn’t have money, basically.”

Kalubhai’s death plunged the Mir family into financial turmoil, necessitating Farida to leave school and face an arranged marriage. This sequence of events draws attention to the film’s overarching theme: the critical lack of access to quality healthcare impacting countless individuals in India. According to the film, “Each year, healthcare costs push 55 million Indians into poverty.”

The documentary’s title is derived from a quote by Rumi, the 13th-century Persian poet: “The wound is where the light enters you.”

Director Matt Alesevich

Alesevich remarked, “It’s one of Aney’s favorite quotes, and it sets the pace for the movie, which is our suffering sort of tills the soil for our growth. We found it to be a very poetic title.”

The wound left by Aney’s mother’s death drives her to a life dedicated to service, ultimately leading her to Farida. Together, the two young women cultivate a meaningful bond that offers both support and healing.

“It’s like a love story, and there’s a real connection there and real partnership between Aney and Farida,” Trivedi shared. “When you’re grieving, you need warmth surrounding you. Aney became Farida’s safe space, and Farida became Aney’s safe space.”