Asma Bhindarwala of Westford said she had worn the rida, or religious Muslim dress, everywhere except school for two or three years before donning the long skirt, long sleeves, and head covering to begin her sophomore year at Westford Academy.
"My friends were really surprised," said 16-year-old Bhindarwala, now a junior. "But after a while, they'd compare all the different ones I wore and tell me what colors they liked best. It was fun, and a little unique."
Bhindarwala expressed her thanks for the friendship and religious tolerance she has received in the community at a Thanksgiving Day interfaith service, an event that has taken place at churches and synagogues in Chelmsford for an estimated 30 years. More than 200 people attended this year's ceremony, held at the new Qutbi Mosque in Billerica, along with Chelmsford congregations from Aldersgate United Methodist Church, All Saints' Episcopal Church, Chelmsford Baha'i Community, Central Congregational Church, Congregation Shalom, St. John the Evangelist Church, Trinity Lutheran Church, and West Chelmsford United Methodist Church.
Bhindarwala, a member of the Anjuman-e-Ezzi congregation that worships at the Qutbi Mosque, spoke about the importance of embracing "not only the differences among culture, religion, and people, but also the similarities that exist between each and every one of us." The ceremony included songs and readings from different books of faith.
Services like this "open our eyes to things we wouldn't necessarily ask about," Bhindarwala added. "It's a great way to deepen our respect and understanding of other people."
ENGINEER WINS FILM AWARDS: Tom Kochem of Belmont said the most he was hoping for when he entered his independent movie at the recent Indie Fest USA International Film Festival was a student film award. But "Yellow Lights" received Best Feature Film and Best Cinematography honors. The 88-minute movie competed against 22 feature films and 75 total entries (including short films and documentaries) at the festival held in Anaheim, Calif.
"I was totally surprised and totally happy."
Although Kochem said the special effects in "Star Wars" inspired him to experiment with his father's camcorder in middle school, he didn't become serious about filmmaking until college. During his senior year at Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Kochem teamed with San Diego resident Kevin Tostado to write, produce, direct, and edit "Yellow Lights," a drama about a college student moving on from the painful end of a serious relationship. With fellow students serving as actors and crew members and local bands performing on the soundtrack, the movie was filmed on a $500 budget in Arlington, Wellesley, and Needham.
Members of Olin College's inaugural class of 2006, Tostado is now pursuing video production full-time in California, while Kochem is a mechanical engineer at a product development consulting firm in Cambridge. Kochem is also seeking financing for his second feature film.
"Aside from its artistic value, I hope 'Yellow Lights' inspires other filmmakers by showing them what you can do with a lot of focus and drive, but not a lot of resources," Kochem said. For more information about "Yellow Lights," visit yellowlightsmovie.com.
People items may be submitted to Cindy Cantrell at cantrell@globe.com.
