A film and discussion about identity, belonging and the ways food and storytelling connect us.

Mar 12, 2026 | 6:30-8:30 pm

6:15 pm | Theater doors open
6:30 pm | Film: Mahsa (or the Girl Who Ate Her Way Home)
7:30pm | Discussion  and Q&A with Mahsa Darabi, Founder of MAHSA CHAI® and star of the film plus some special guests.

About the Film

Mahsa (or the Girl Who Ate Her Way Home) Armed with a voracious curiosity, impulsive slant, and intrinsic ability to connect with others, Iranian immigrant Mahsa Darabi delves into her deep-seated longing to understand her heritage, reflects on the current civil unrest in her homeland, and then embarks on a journey to somehow find her way back to her roots in Iran through the common language of food. In doing so, she travels to Portland, Los Angeles, and Mexico to expose the beautiful and inherently connected mess that is humanity, through the truths of food and story. We find that despite the contrasts we've created through generations of drawing borders, forming traditions, and purveying beliefs, we are more alike than we are different. Mahsa works to unearth a better understanding for our place within this vast collective, and to spur a renewed social thirst for discourse.

Duration: 62 minutes  | Recommended for ages 12+