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FILM INTERVIEW: DJ PARMAR

Vancouverite a Rare South Asian Filmmaker Presenting at Toronto Film Fest

By: Parimal M. Rohit
September 9, 2011

DJ Parmar 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 Mr. Parmar’s directorial debut in Afternoon Tea earned a spot in the “Short Cuts Canada” program as the latest edition of the Toronto International Film Festival.

 

Officially commencing on September 8, 2011, TIFF is one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, drawing filmmakers from every corner of the globe. Mr. Parmar is blessed to be among a handful of filmmakers of South Asian descent represented at the festival -- not a bad way to start one’s directorial career.
 
In making his debut as a director, Parmar put together an interesting short story of an elderly man questioned by a younger boy requesting to use his telephone. What transpires is a quick sketch of one of the most common of human conditions: assumption-making.
 
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, Mr. Parmar just wanted to tell a story expanding beyond the Indian 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,” Mr. Parmar told Buzzine Bollywood.
 
His lead actress, Vancouver-based Sandy 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 candidly and humbly told Buzzine Bollywood. “It is an Indian story, but it reaches the collective whole.”
 
Switching gears, Mr. Parmar is attempting to establish himself as a collectively wholesome filmmaker by tackling one segment of the industry at a time. After studying at the Vancouver Film School and producing several films, Mr. Parmar finally felt comfortable enough to switch hats and direct for a change.
 
“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, Mr. Parmar hopes his experience as an Indian 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 to India and find a story to direct, using TIFF to gain the right contacts.
 
The next ten days will reveal just how much progress Mr. Parmar will make with his filmmaking endeavors, but in the meantime, Afternoon Tea will be getting its screen time rather early at TIFF, as the film is showing on September 11th and 12th.
 
Starring B.K. Rakhra, Quinn Lord, Sandy Sidhu, and Christopher Pearce, ‘Afternoon Tea’ is part of the Short Cuts Canada program. Acclaimed Indo Canadian film composer Amritha Vaz oversaw the music direction.