Saving Mum: Our Family Secret
Stream now on Channel 4
British-Asian mother and daughter, Jas and Maleena, travel to Central America to take part in an Ayahuasca retreat as a last attempt to heal their fractured relationship. This rare and intimate observational documentary follows a family navigating the long shadow of grief, loss, addiction, cultural stigma and the emotional inheritance of shame.
While grounded in one family’s experience, the story speaks to something far more universal: the longing to break inherited cycles, reconnect across generations, and find healing in the places we once avoided most.
Written, Produced and Directed by Maleena Pone
Watch the Trailer.
The documentary is tender, raw, and unafraid, a testament to both Maleena’s vision and her bravery in bringing such a vulnerable story to screen. We’re so proud to have commissioned this film at Channel 4, and we hope it sparks meaningful conversations, particularly within communities where these topics are still rarely spoken of.
Rita Daniels, Commissioner at Channel 4
“I come from a generation of women who did not know how to talk about their pain.”
Director, Maleena Pone
Follow the journey…
Check out our wider impact work and behind-the-scenes photos and footage from the streets of Southampton to the lush jungles of Costa Rica, where the real magic happened…
