Creative inspirations

Born in Japan to a Scottish Indian mother and a French father, I grew up in Italy and later lived in the UK and Brazil. This multicultural background has given me a deep appreciation for diverse perspectives and a lifelong search for belonging, which I bring to collaborative creative projects. I enjoy working with partners from diverse backgrounds and love the co-creation aspect of the creative process.

I am especially drawn to stories and collaborations that explore radical change with empathy, both personal and collective, around mental health, migration, identity politics, artistic collaboration, and healing. For me, storytelling is both a craft and a way to process life’s complexities and build connections across borders.

Since moving to Scotland in 2021, I have further developed my storytelling skills, receiving support from the Scottish Documentary Institute and Screen Scotland. My recent work includes the award-winning short documentary “The Tomorrow That’ll Come.” I am currently developing the feature documentary “Thread,” which explores migration, intergenerational identity, and belonging through the relationship between two women. The project is in production and seeking UK or Scottish co-production partners, as well as collaborators interested in documentary, archival research, and cross-cultural storytelling.

If you’re interested in collaborating on meaningful, boundary-crossing projects, I’d love to connect and explore what we can create together. Please feel free to reach out to me by email by using the contact form on my website to start a conversation.

CREATIVE PORTFOLIO

  • THREAD

    DOC. late development. 90min

    Directed by Mônica Santino & Carla Shah

    Production 3 Tabela Filmes

    Two friends embark on a journey into their past to make way for the women they want to become. As Carla begins her new life as a mother in Brasilia a city far from her friends and family, she gains comfort every afternoon rewatching the footage of Monica who builds an art piece dedicated to her family. When Monica reveals her buried memories of over 30 years, the two women show the power of friendship and how they can help each other rebuild their narratives. 

  • THE TOMORROW THAT'LL COME

    DOC. 2022. 18min

    Director, Cinemagrapher, and Editor Carla Shah

    Production Rohan Berry Crickmar

    Executive producers Noé Mendelle, Flore Cosquer, Mark Thomas

    Collaborators Mohand and Sophie rehearse their new play about Sudan. Navigating the country’s politics and culture, the unlikely pair use comedy and the joy of creativity to tell a very personal narrative about Mohand’s longing to return home and his inability to do so. As the UK government increases its hostile legislation towards refugees this film focuses attention on issues of representation and, more immediately, how we make a dream of home a reality.

    Trailer

  • A syringe with a black and white striped needle lying on a white surface with blue and red shadows cast behind it.

    COPACABANCA

    DOC. 2021. 15min

    Director, Photographer and Editor Carla Shah

    Produced by Edinburgh College of Arts

    Nine months into the pandemic Copacabanca hangs by a thread as Carlos, the news stand owner, waits faithfully for customers who never arrive. As Carlos’s quiet surrounding becomes an observation on longing, Copacabanca in turn becomes an allegory on Brazilian democracy. This tragicomedy, a portrait of unlikely hero, is about a man who pushes on even though his business and country are failing him. While we watch Carlos wait, we begin to ask ourselves about our own condition and what it is we are waiting for.

    Trailer

  • A person holding a sign that reads "As Bahias e a Cozinha Mineira Fumaga" in stylistic black cursive font.

    FUMAÇA

    MUSIC. VIDEO. 2017

    Directed and Edited by Carla Shah

    Production Luciano Romanieli

    Cinematography Luíz Gomez

    Following a two-day trip in Rio de Janeiro, the music video documents the band As Bahias e Cozinha Mineiro and their life on the road. It captures the buildup to their first show at Circo Voador, a venue that has launched the careers of many artists. Since then, their album has been nominated for the Latin American Grammy. The first time in history that trans women have been nominated. The video weaves in a reflection on what it means to be a woman, and the song’s nostalgia for a love long lost.

    Click herefor video

    For full Rollingstones article (Portuguese), click here 

  • Nude man standing on a rooftop with arms outstretched and buildings in the background.

    ÍCARO

    FIC. 2016. 11min

    Directed and written by Carla Shah

    Produced by Luciano Romanieli

    Ícaro seeks liberation from his job as an elevator operator. Based on the Greek myth of Icarus, the film investigates the psychology of a character who is emotionally and physically stuck. Interlacing Rio's dramatic architecture with dance and music, Ícaro is a poetic film which reflects the human psyche as well as Brazil's unique social context.  

    Trailer

  • A woman holding a baby and smiling gently, sitting inside a wooden house. The woman is wearing glasses and a colorful floral shirt, and the baby is dressed in white. The scene appears warm and tender.

    LETTERS TO MAYA

    DOC. 2014. 10min

    Directed, Written and Edited Carla Shah 

    Produced by Escola de Cinema Darcy Ribeiro

    After 10 years of silence, a daughter begins to write a series of letters to her mother, celebrating and longing for a time they once shared. When there are few photographs to document their unity, personal references in music and cinema become the tool to reconcile the loss and grief. The documentary is based on Carla's own relationship with her mother.

    Letters to Maya was made by Carla in her second semester at Escola de Cinema Darcy Ribeiro (ECDR). In 2015, it became part of the curriculum at ECDR to teach documentary and screenwriting. The short is currently being developed into a feature-length documentary.

    Watch the full film here