Preparation for the Next Life follows an undocumented immigrant and a U.S. war veteran who find an unexpected connection in one another.

Sebiye Behtiyar [seh-BEE-ya BEH-tee-yar] makes her feature film debut as Uyghur [WEE-gur] immigrant Aishe, who’s trying to make a life for herself in New York City. She forms a bond with troubled young war veteran Skinner, played by Fred Hechinger [HECK-in-jurr], and together they try to imagine a better future for themselves.

Behtiyar, who is of Uyghur descent and speaks three languages like her character, felt an immediate connection to the project, but didn’t assume she’d get the role because she was only just starting out.

“I wasn’t prepared for such a complex character as Aishe, but meeting all those incredible people [in the cast and cr

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