Stars and Tides is a short film written and directed by Akash Saravanan. Produced in 2020, this slice-of-life short film was selected as Semi-Finalist in the 2022 Serbfest International Film Festival.

Filmed in Wellington, New Zealand, the film was produced as part of an Online initiative called, “New Zealand Film Collaborators”, to help first-time filmmakers to create movies with support from peers within the industry.

A woman sits on the shore, eyes filled with tears. A man passing by notices and offers her a glass of water. The woman reluctantly takes the glass as the two talk to each other.

Over the conversation, she realises she might have more in common with the stranger. The two stargaze as they talk about the one thing they miss, their family. As the night fades the two go their separate ways, finding comfort and solace in knowing that they are not alone.

On a different day, the woman finds someone else in the same spot she was in. She offers them water and a shoulder to lean on.

June 24th, the day I finished this film, is a very special day in my life. It's the day I found my identity. I am a filmmaker.

Stars and Tides is a very special thing in my life. It's not just my first movie. This film represents what I wish to do in this medium.

Capturing moments. Moments that anyone can live through. Moments where people can put themselves in my characters and live through that experience.

This movie also represents something deep in me that I have been desperately holding onto. It represents my insecurities, regrets and how I dealt with it, by talking to strangers. The stranger could be anyone. They could be a therapist sitting across the room on a couch, or a young lady sitting on the roadside, sobbing.

This film is really close to me as this is a very realistic depiction of an incident that happened in my life. This story is in many ways, me passing along the favour, inspiring people to do the same thing that I was able to do for that strange sister that random night.

It's ironic that she probably won't be able to see this movie. But, somewhere, this movie represents the core values that I hope to bring into my stories. Conversations. Silences. Moments. A brief capsule of time. Capturing the beautiful essence that we all experience, but end up forgetting in the long run.

In all aspects, this is an extension of me. And so will all my future stories.

With this one, I dedicate it to all the people who have given me a shoulder to lean on, whenever I have needed it.