Dancing Ledge Productions and StoryTell-Her Studios Announce New Channel 4 Documentary

Commissioned for Channel 4’s Prestigious First Cut Strand

Dancing Ledge Productions, a Fremantle Company and Storytell-Her Studios are proud to announce a powerful new documentary directed by British South Asian creative Maleena Pone, commissioned as part of Channel 4’s prestigious First Cut strand. This marks Pone’s directorial debut in documentary and is a deeply personal exploration of generational trauma, grief, and healing.

Saving Mum, (W/T)  follows Pone’s journey to repair her complex relationship with her mother, Jasbir, as they confront a shared legacy of silence, loss, and alcoholism. Filmed across the UK and Costa Rica Saving Mum is an unflinching portrait of love, control, and emotional rebirth within a British Punjabi family.

As part of their healing journey, Maleena and her mother travel to Costa Rica to take part in a traditional Ayahuasca ceremony, guided by experienced facilitators. This plant medicine ritual becomes a pivotal moment in the film—offering raw, often painful emotional revelations.

“The decision to include our Ayahuasca experience in the film was not taken lightly,” says Pone. “But it was such a profound part of our journey. It allowed us to step outside the roles of ‘mother’ and ‘daughter’ and meet each other spirit to spirit, pain to pain. That encounter reshaped the way I see her—and myself.”

The film is executive produced by Fatima Salaria, commissioned by Rita Daniels at Channel 4, edited by Zeb Achonu, and produced in collaboration with Storytell-Her Studios—a production team composed entirely of women of colour. This creative leadership is a central part of the work—a way to ensure that stories by and about women of colour are shaped from within, rather than filtered through outside voices.

“This film is not just about my story,” says Pone, “It’s an invitation for others to confront their own hidden wounds and begin their healing. I made this film because I believe transformation begins with telling the truth—first to ourselves, then to one another.”

With a career spanning over 18 years across journalism, branded content, and digital storytelling, Pone has worked with brands such as Nike and IKEA, and developed programming for BBC Sounds, London Live, and BBC Three. She is also a trauma-informed facilitator and coach who supports women of colour in reclaiming their stories and careers.

Editor Zeb Achonu brings over two decades of experience in broadcast storytelling. Her recent work includes the BAFTA and RTS award-winning documentary White Nanny Black Child, as well as acclaimed projects like Jimmy Akingbola: Handle With Care (ITV) and Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip Hop (Netflix). Achonu is a recipient of the 2024 Women in Film & TV (WFTV) & Molinare Post Production Award and was selected for Berlinale Talents 2024. 

“To have this story told through such an honest, personal lens is something I’m incredibly proud of,” says executive producer Fatima Salaria. “What makes it even more meaningful is the team behind it — an incredible group of talented, underrepresented creatives bringing their full selves to the work. It’s the first time in my career I’ve worked on a project led entirely by women like this, and it’s been a joy. Supporting emerging voices like Maleena’s is at the heart of what we do at Dancing Ledge, and I can’t wait to see what she does next “.

Rita Daniels,  Commissioning Editor adds:  "This is a hugely important Frist Cut commission, and I am honoured that Maleena has chosen to work with Channel 4 and to share her deeply personal exploration of generational trauma and grief.   The film is likely to be both fascinating and deeply troubling as we watch mother and daughter attempt to repair what may seem to be the unrepairable.  Made by an Incredible roster of film makers this documentary will offer up hope and the belief that reconciliation even In the toughest of circumstances Is possible"

Drawing on more than two decades of personal archive—diaries, home video, photographs, and audio recordings—the film spans three generations of women and provides rare insight into the emotional interior lives of South Asian families. It is a story about love, loss, and the radical act of choosing healing over silence.

Saving Mum (w/t) will air later this year on Channel 4 as part of the First Cut strand, which champions bold new voices in documentary filmmaking.