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The Gas Station Attendant

Play trailer 2:02 Poster for The Gas Station Attendant 2025 1h 23m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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In The Gas Station Attendant, a daughter (of Filipino and South Asian descent) reflects on her South Asian father's life, his never-ending pursuit of the American dream, and the human capacity to love and survive. As a young boy, H.N. Shantha Murthy ran away from home to escape the extreme poverty of his Indian village. He travelled the country in search of work, holding onto the belief that one day his life would change. It did, following a serendipitous encounter with a Texan couple. With a sponsored visa, he travelled to the US, but his American Dream was not to be fulfilled. Karla Murthy's film weaves together home videos and phone conversations recorded during her father's stint as a gas station attendant, while also reflecting on her own identity as a first-generation American. What emerges is an intimate love letter -- a meditation on a complicated father-daughter relationship and a poignant tribute to the immigrant working class.

Critics Reviews

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Namrata Joshi The New Indian Express Purely as a documentary about family, it may not have the layers of Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell but it makes up for it with its straightforward honesty and emotional acuity. Jun 26, 2025 Full Review Paul Emmanuel Enicola The Movie Buff A film that’s equal parts remembrance, reckoning, and recognition of a love that sometimes spoke in broken conversations, long road trips, and tired, late-night phone calls. Rated: A- Jun 19, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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Karla Murthy

Director

Karla Murthy

Screenwriter

Rajal Pitroda

Producer

Carrie Lozano

Executive Producer

Geeta Gandbhir

Executive Producer

Rekha Malhotra

Executive Producer
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The Gas Station Attendant

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The Gas Station Attendant

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Movie Info

Synopsis In The Gas Station Attendant, a daughter (of Filipino and South Asian descent) reflects on her South Asian father's life, his never-ending pursuit of the American dream, and the human capacity to love and survive. As a young boy, H.N. Shantha Murthy ran away from home to escape the extreme poverty of his Indian village. He travelled the country in search of work, holding onto the belief that one day his life would change. It did, following a serendipitous encounter with a Texan couple. With a sponsored visa, he travelled to the US, but his American Dream was not to be fulfilled. Karla Murthy's film weaves together home videos and phone conversations recorded during her father's stint as a gas station attendant, while also reflecting on her own identity as a first-generation American. What emerges is an intimate love letter -- a meditation on a complicated father-daughter relationship and a poignant tribute to the immigrant working class.
Director
Karla Murthy
Producer
Rajal Pitroda
Screenwriter
Karla Murthy
Production Co
Greene Fort Productions
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 23m