In Self Embrace

On the day of her gender-affirming surgery, Mahtab, a deaf transgender woman, waits at a hospital with Matin, her transgender partner. After struggling to secure the money for her surgery, Mahtab hopes this day will mark the beginning of a new life and bring her closer to the acceptance she has long sought. But Matin is hiding something from her. As news of renewed violence in Afghanistan reaches the hospital, his unexplained absences and secret phone calls begin to take on a different meaning. When Matin suddenly leaves for Afghanistan, Mahtab's mother arrives at the hospital, where she must protect her daughter from a confrontation with her father. By the end of the day, Mahtab finds herself alone, facing an uncertain future.