Anisha Savan: I’ll Never Be Alive Again, Film

Anisha Savan is a NYC-based writer, producer, and director of narrative short films such as “He Comes From a Good Family,” “Ghost Me,” and most recently - “I’ll Never Be Alive Again.” Currently, she works full-time in QA at Squarespace while simultaneously pursuing her passion for filmmaking. A woman of many talents, Anisha’s creative range encompasses manuscript writing, storytelling, music video direction, and filmmaking. As a South Asian director and trailblazer in the horror film genre, Anisha is known for her groundbreaking short films that have explored social commentary such as ghosting in dating, arranged marriages in South Asian culture, and deeply personal themes around grief, guilt, and loss. 

However, her initial footprint in creative artistry began in chapter book and manuscript writing - which eventually led her to pursue filmmaking. In fact, when asked about her evolution, she states, “I originally thought I’d pursue publishing since I wrote manuscripts.” As a lover of film, she pondered the possibility but hadn’t pursued it seriously because she didn’t have any mentors or anyone to look up to at first. “I didn’t know that it could be a possibility for me. Basically, 2019 was the year I’d be turning 30 - and I asked myself, “am I happy with what I’m doing?” But despite not having had any directing experience, Anisha chose to dive straight into filmmaking. “I’m proud of my bravery and having to let go of writing this book for 7 years. I had to grapple with the idea that I had to let go of this manuscript and not feel like a failure.” 

Anisha cites finding inspiration from the works of directors such as Jordan Peele, M. Night Shyamalan and Ari Aster. “Jordan Peele was someone we thought was just funny - but Get Out was the most profound horror film. And I appreciated Ari Aster’s hustle plus the fact that he was such a young and experienced director. Hereditary was his first feature length film and it was incredible.” 

Much like Ari Aster’s Hereditary and Midsommar, Anisha’s most recent film, “I’ll Never Be Alive Again” is an exploration of deeply personal motifs that transcend traditional horror genre tropes. Anisha credits her experience of staying alone in her apartment throughout the initial days of the pandemic as a major influence on the film’s storyline. Anisha says, “I was leaning really far into social commentary but my latest one is a very raw, open film. I felt like a zombie and had felt a lack of support during that time. I wrote this film from a personal and cathartic place.” 

When asked about what she envisions for the future of South Asian creatives, Anisha states the importance of having South Asian representation in leading stories and different spaces. “We have to continue to show who we are - and we should want to take up space in places we don’t usually see. My dream is to have South Asian representation in such a way where we can be ourselves without our culture defining us.”