As an Indian girl growing up in the southern US, I’ve definitely had my share of being “the outsider.” Cultural confusion occurs frequently in the US today, and is the source of many problems around the world. In telling a story about criss-crossed cultures, I hope to promote cross-cultural understanding, depicting the complexity of what it means to be an “outsider”, and how people cope with it.

I’ve always found comedy to be a more subtle and nuanced way of looking at the world than drama. In Hollywood, comedies are churned out every year, but most of them focus on generating laughs through stale jokes. By making a short film that speaks to social issues, and makes people laugh, I hope to be using the comedic format to its highest potential.

Lastly, as an Indian-American, I know that we are a segment of society with a rich and varied culture, yet we are rarely seen in mainstream media, and when we are, it is often as stereotypes. I want to represent this cultural minority in a humorous and sensitive manner, so that audiences can see them as I do: real people whose thoughts and behaviors are as worthy of great stories as anyone else.

Women In Film

The Celluloid Ceiling illustrates that there is a severe lack of women participating in the Entertainment Industry in key positions. This is why it is extremely important to support women who strive to make films in roles that they generally don’t have the opportunity to hold. “The Indian and the Samurai” has a crew that is 75% female, with females holding key positions such as Director, Producer, and Editor. Our project is an example of the talented of women filmmakers who need to be supported by their communities.