Film/Stage
Afternoon Tea: Playing at The Toronto International Film Festival
From Stories by PARIMAL M. ROHIT & LINK
Daljit Singh Parmar's directorial debut, "Afternoon Tea" is being screened as an Official Selection at the Toronto International Film Festival, currently on in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
In the film, an elderly Sikh man plays unsuspecting host to a curious young boy who is lost and needs to use his phone. As the afternoon unfolds, tension builds as the young boy digs deeper into the man’s personal life. Inspired performances make this an emotionally riveting story about the consequences of hard-held beliefs and cultural traditions.
"DJ" Daljit Parmar is a graduate of the Vancouver Film School and has produced numerous short films. He had already produced several short films, but the time just seemed ripe to grab hold of the bullhorn. Grab hold is exactly what he did, as his directorial debut in Afternoon Tea earned a spot in the “Short Cuts Canada” program as the latest edition of the Toronto International Film Festival ("TIFF").
TIFF 2011, which started last week, is one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, drawing filmmakers from every corner of the globe. Daljit is among a handful of filmmakers of South Asian descent represented at the festival - not a bad way to start one’s directorial career.
Effectively, Afternoon Tea, which runs about 13 minutes, raises the point of how we are incorrect in our assumptions or judgments of those surrounding us, more often than we realize or are willing to admit.
Through it all, Daljit says, he just wanted to tell a story expanding beyond the Sikh or South Asian experience and instead shed light on an aspect of life that is much more universal.
“I wanted to tell a unique story that was edgy and not stereotypical and cliché,” Daljit said.
His lead actress, Vancouver-based Sandy Kaur Sidhu, echoed similar thoughts, stating that Afternoon Tea balances individual perspectives and universal human experiences.
“I’d say Afternoon Tea is about the human experience. We all have individual unique perspectives. But the human condition is universal, and that’s why we all can watch films, regardless of which nation we’re from, and appreciate them,” she said candidly.
Switching gears, Daljit is attempting to establish himself as a collectively wholesome filmmaker by tackling one segment of the industry at a time.
“I had this urge to direct. I am a firm believer in focusing on one aspect of filmmaking,” he said, adding that the time he spent developing skills as a producer helped him take on the director’s chair.
In the near term, Daljit hopes his experience as a Sikh-Canadian director at TIFF will help set in motion a chain of events that lands him his next gig holding the bullhorn.
“It’s an interesting experience because I will be networking with executives as a director,” he said, adding that he hopes to go abroad and find a story to direct, using TIFF to gain the right contacts.
Sandy Sidhu plays the role of Priya in the fim.
Born and raised in British Columbia, Canada, Sandy first entered the spotlight by representing her hometown as the Nanaimo Princess Ambassador from 2003-2004. At the age of 14, she was acting, singing and dancing at her high school’s annual musicals ever year. It is no surprise Hollywood would eventually come knocking on her door.
Freshly landed back in Vancouver from studying at Los Angeles’s legendary “Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute”, Sandy is respected among her peers for her talent, her continued dedication and passion to her craft. Credits for Sandy include a recurring role in the hit science fiction series “SGU Stargate Universe” as Dr. Mehta, followed by an episode on a Canadian series “Shattered”. With diversified looks and talent, she has also booked several commercials and print ads.
Sandy is also a producer, developing a dramedy television series. She is a rising star and is regarded by many as the next up and coming Sikh-Canadian and South Asian actress to look out for.
The film's principal cast consists of B.K. Rakhra, Quinn Lord, Sandy Sidhu and Christopher Pearce. Amritha Vaz oversaw the music direction.
[Courtesy: Buzzine Bollywood & Link. Edited for sikhchic.com]
September 16, 2011
Conversation about this article
1: Gurjender Singh (Maryland, U.S.A.), September 16, 2011, 11:25 AM.
Please advise if this film can be seen at any other places. In the U.S.?
2: Harinder (Uttar Pradesh, India), September 16, 2011, 1:34 PM.
Remake all the classic movies of the world with Sikh characters and see the Sikh film industry grow.