‘My Melbourne’ Explores The Lives of Marginalised Groups In Migrant Communities
Image: My Melbourne (2024). Image: Supplied.
A deaf dancer searching for her sense of self, a gay son reconciling with his estranged father, a 15-year-old Afghan refugee starting anew, and two displaced women forging an unexpected bond—these are the poignant narratives that form My Melbourne, a four-part anthology film that delves into the multicultural fabric of one of Australia’s largest cities through the eyes of its growing South Asian community.
Set to premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) on August 15, 2024, My Melbourne features the work of celebrated Indian filmmakers Onir, Rima Das, Imtiaz Ali, and Kabir Khan.
The film, based on true stories, explores the lives of marginalised individuals within migrant communities, tackling issues of sexuality, gender, disability, and race.
An Ode To Melbourne
Onir, a trailblazer in the Indian film industry and one of the few openly gay filmmakers in Bollywood (as the country’s Hindi film industry is known), describes the film as a heartfelt ode to Melbourne. “Melbourne always made me feel that I belong and that I am loved,” he states in a press statement. “My Melbourne for me is a film that celebrates what Melbourne stands for – a space that embraces diversity and celebrates inclusion”
Onir has been a frequent visitor to the city in the past few years, bringing his films to the festival – he was here last for the previous edition of IIFM with his film Pine Cone.
His segment, Nandini, tells the story of a gay son who reconnects with his father as they both navigate the grief of losing a loved one. According to Onir, it’s a story of grief, forgiveness, acceptance, and inclusion.
“(My Melbourne) captures this essence through various migrant experiences. As a filmmaker too, it was about sharing cinematic language and culture, being an Indian filmmaker working with an Australian cast and crew,” says Onir.
Authentic Migrant Stories
Rima Das, who directed Emma, says it was both an “emotional and uplifting” experience. Emma, follows a deaf dancer in her early 20s, living with Usher’s Syndrome.
“The theme of our film is disability and we wanted to keep it very authentic and real. We worked with a mix of senior actors and relatively new actors, including members of the deaf community,” says Das, adding that she was “the outcome”.
Imtiaz Ali, fresh from the success of Amar Singh Chamkila, his biopic on a popular Punjabi singer, sensitively tackles the bond between a 23-year-old newly married girl who has newly arrived in Melbourne and a homeless woman.
“I was moved by the story of two very different yet displaced women in marvellous Melbourne,” says Ali, who adds that working with a talented cast of young creative minds was a “huge learning experience.”
Kabir Khan, known for his big-budget blockbuster films, says he was drawn to the story of a young Afghani refugee who finds solace in cricket. “Hearing the story of Setara for the first time in 2021 immediately drew me in,” says Khan.
“True stories portraying the triumph of the human spirit always have a special appeal for me. Setara’s unique escape from Afghanistan to Melbourne and her finding a sense of belonging through cricket made this a story I had to tell. Working with local emerging creatives and the wonderful girls’ cricket teams of Melbourne made this an even more authentic and wonderful experience.”
Producer Mitu Bhowmick Lange, who is also the director of IFFM, said the goal was to turn the spotlight on underrepresented and authentic migrant stories.
“We believe that the success of telling a story comes from its authenticity and empathy. This has always been our endeavour with ‘My Melbourne’ The film has been made with a lot of love, across cultures and countries, with a diverse cast and crew of different abilities, languages, and backgrounds,” adds Bhowmick Lange.
My Melbourne will have its world premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne on August 15, 2024, and releases in theatres on February 25. For more details and to book tickets for the film festival, click here.
This story originally appeared on CityHub.
