Short Film · 2024 · Released
The Film
Arjun, a finance manager at a crossroads, flees a life he never chose and finds himself adrift in Palm Springs. When he meets Mia — a barista with a quiet wit and a secret she carries like a second heartbeat — two strangers begin to orbit each other in the way that only happens when time is running out.
Written as a novel and adapted to the screen, Once, In Palm Springs is a film about the people who arrive in our lives at exactly the right moment, and leave before we're ready. It is about grief, arranged marriages, illness, and the small acts of kindness that outlast us all.
Filmed on location in Burbank, California, the film was written, directed, filmed, and edited solely by Giovanni Doray.
"Even with every grain of sand, time remains unstoppable."
Stills
Director's Note
This film started as a novel — something I wrote out of a growing desire to escape the norm. I grew up witnessing the traditions of my culture, and I understood the quiet suffocation felt by the people who don't necessarily rebel against those traditions, but don't agree with them the way earlier generations did. The novel holds far more of that — enough for a feature. What we filmed is the beginning of something larger.
The budget came from a summer working at an amusement park in Vancouver. Prep happened mostly online through the summer and fall. I made the genius decision to film in January — in retrospect, not ideal, because LA still gets its share of rainy days. The reasoning was that most festival circuits open in winter and spring. Despite the title, we filmed in Burbank, California. Getting to Palm Springs on our budget wasn't feasible.
The first night, the Airbnb had a massive cricket invasion. I spent the entire night clearing them out. I flew one-way to LA. The trip home was two days on the train, reviewing recorded footage and organizing everything I had.
On set, I asked Rosa — who plays Mia — if she'd want to revisit this on a bigger scale if it ever reached that point. She said yes, but only if I still had some part in it. I hold onto that. I also hold onto the joy of making it the way we did — on a shoestring, in January, with crickets.
Next Film