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In the quiet still of dawn, a woman stands by a river, her hands slowly clasped in prayer. This prayer is a call across time, body, and memory. Just beyond the veil, six divine creators watch in quiet communion. Witnessing not just a beginning, but a continuation of lifetimes, gifts, and dreams passed down through generations of women.
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Her Prayer, My Journey, the debut short film from indie production studio–Smallcrowdd, is more than beautifully composed imagery. It is a ceremony nestled in the landscapes of Ghana. Directed by Inayah Bashir and Laze, the film follows Aya, a celestial being sent to earth to reclaim her essence and the sacred gifts she has forgotten. Told as a visual poem with evocative sound design, the film immerses viewers in a symbolic and spiritual terrain shaped by elemental trials and ancestral wisdom.
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From the Orisha of Ifa to the deities of Odinani to the infamous of the Akan, Her Prayer, My Journey intentionally centers African spiritual traditions, yet transcends fixed identity. Instead, it invites a return. A return to the self, to the divine, and to the stories we carry in our bones.
“I wrote the poem that inspired this film during a time when my ancestors were asking me to remember,” says Bashir. “It was a call back to myself. This film is that call visualized.”
While we join Aya on a spiritual odyssey, this narrative somehow resists conventional storytelling. Bashir and Laze craft a meditative film that flows like a spell leaving viewers with echoes of a poem. Her Prayer My Journey is shaped not by plot but by presence.
“It’s an experimental piece that uses non-linear storytelling, sound, and texture to explore the relationship between ancestry, ritual and identity.” Laze shares.
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While Bashir’s background in poetry and cultural storytelling gives the film its soul, her co-director Laze embodies the vision with visual and strategic clarity, bringing expertise as a creative director and brand strategist. With all his past work ranging from Puma to Adidas to TEDx , Her Prayer, My Journey marks Laze’s first foray into personal filmmaking. But his imprint is clear: a thoughtful production, and intuitive pacing.
“The visual storytelling really grew out of my conversations with Inayah. We talked through each stanza of the poem and how it felt, not just what it meant. I thought a lot about what real transformation looks like: the quiet rituals, the internal shifts. I pulled from personal experiences and tried to let that guide the way we used light, space, and movement. The goal was to make Aya's journey feel lived-in and honest, like something you don’t just watch, but feel.” Laze shares
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The team also found ways to build community through the process. Casting decisions were guided by surveys that asked actors about their personal values and interests. Costumes were sourced and created with symbolic intent. Even rehearsals were rituals.
“We built a family,” Bashir reflects. “People walked away transformed. And that’s when we knew we had tapped into something sacred.”
”Working with so many creative minds and trying to get us all aligned wasn’t easy, but finally finishing it and seeing it come together made it all worth it. it’s an experience I'll always carry with me.“ Laze reflects.
Her Prayer, My Journey anchors its metaphysical themes in a grounded earthly beauty. Every frame pulses with life: wind brushing through leaves, the radiant waterfall gushing, bare feet meeting soil. Ghana isn’t just a location for this film. it’s a character, a witness, and a nurturing force.
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The film’s resonance has already caught global attention:
It’s a dilemma that mirrors the creative process itself. “When we started,” Bashir shares, “I thought I had to control the outcome. But filmmaking, like prayer, is about surrender.” But perhaps the real triumph is that Her Prayer, My Journey exists at all.
“This project was an offering to my inner artist,” says Bashir. “For so long, she was pushed aside in a world that demanded other things. With this film, I finally told her: you are worthy.”
For all its ethereal beauty, Her Prayer, My Journey never loses its grounding. The central message remains true. The fact that we are already living inside the blessings we once prayed for resounds long after the credits roll. The film ends as it begins: with Aya at the river. But this time, her prayer is different. She prays not from uncertainty, but from remembrance. And in that remembering, she becomes.
Title: Her Prayer, My Journey
Directors: Inayah Bashir & Laze
Produced by: SmallCrowdd Studios Filmed in: Ghana
Length: 6:54
Release status: Private screenings + Festival Circuit
Awards: Best Environmental Film – LA Art Film Fest | Best Experimental Film – Cannes Art Film Fest
