I'm a young Egyptian woman, whose aspiration is to share the life of Arab women here in the United States. As Arab women, we must battle a plethora of oppression in our public and personal spheres. Arab women are relatively invisible in the media world here in the United States. As an Egyptian woman attempting to carry on with her twofold life here in New York City, I have concluded that I need to acquaint myself and my existence with the universe of media. When I was young I lived in Egypt; however, I was born in New York City. I am a firm believer in the idea that nobody can portray a story like a person who lived it. Moving from New York when I was just three years old, the drastic change in societal environment influenced my life immensely. I got the opportunity to encounter two very dissimilar lives, both of which felt as though I was living in an alternate universe. Middle Eastern women are often not able to stroll down the road without a man, they aren't permitted to be employed, and they can't expose their hair or any sort of skin when in their respective countries. While some Arab women adhere to and appreciate these unspoken societal "rules" because they are able to practice modesty to show their devotion to their religion and families, some women, like myself, don't. While in New York, women have substantially more flexibility, and in most cases, gender discrimination is a bit less prevalent. Only a couple of months back, I understood that I wasn't the only one carrying on with this twofold life. In the drama series Degrassi, character Goldi Nahir is a Muslim woman living in the US. Nahir obviously had strict religious guardians who pressured her into wearing the Hijab. As Nahir was going to class, she began removing the Hijab, changed her clothing, had gay friends (which is taboo in Muslim culture), and made many decisions that were not accepted by her Muslim family. While watching this series, I realized her experience is essentially identical to mine, as well as many other Muslim women’s lives. This propelled me to get myself into media. I aspire to make a film that delves deep into the lives of Arab women and their struggles. Through this medium, I will be able to expose our encounters with social media, male friends, gay friends, our garments, the way we nourish our bodies, places we go, and the battles of having our families monitor everything we might do. This constant watch from our families and communities causes tension in our lives; it can cause us a lot of anxiety, to the point that we can't confide in one another. There is a constant fear that the truth of our double lives will be discovered by our families, due to a confidant betraying our trust. I’m motivated to create a media portrayal for the Muslim women who believe that their life choices should be their own. Due to my own experiences, I am certain that I am the ideal contender to make this exchange through film.