To Live and Die and Live

Director: Qasim Basir
Screenwriters: Qasim Basir

Institute History

  • 2023 Sundance Film Festival

Description

Muhammad, a strong, handsome Hollywood film director, makes his way through the gorgeous and alluring landscapes of a rebuilt Detroit — the glistening legacy of his newly deceased stepfather Khalid, a beloved and highly regarded building contractor. Muhammad has returned for the funeral, but his own battle with addiction, which he hides from the world, drives him to immediately fade away into the sultry, late-night, drug-saturated after-hours of Detroit and an equally intoxicating romantic relationship. As he struggles to cope, Muhammad’s family and friends look to him as a leader and provider, and he forges ahead shouldering all of their needs, claiming he's got this, even though it’s a lot — maybe too much.

Creative dynamo Qasim Basir returns to Sundance (A Boy. A Girl. A Dream. 2018 Sundance Film Festival), forging a fresh exploration of addiction, loss, and love with this stunningly beautiful love letter to Detroit. Featuring an exceptional Amin Joseph as Muhammad, To Live and Die and Live is an emotional testament to the astonishing power community can provide in a cruel world.



Audience Advisory: This film contains strobe effects and may potentially trigger seizures. Viewer discretion is advised.


Screening Details

As you use our Online Archives, please understand that the information presented from Festivals, Labs, and other activities is taken directly from official publications from each year. While this information is limited and doesn't necessarily represent the full list of participants (e.g. actors and crew), it is the list given to us by the main film/play/project contact at the time, based on the space restrictions of our publications. Each entry in the Online Archives is meant as a historical record of a particular film, play, or project at the time of its involvement with Sundance Institute. For this reason, we can only amend an entry if a name is misspelled, or if the entry does not correctly reflect the original publication. If you have questions or comments, please email [email protected]