by FilmInk Staff
Filmed entirely in Melbourne, the anthology film My Melbourne features four unique diverse stories based on true incidents themed around the four pillars of diversity – sexuality, gender, disability, and race, directed by four iconic Indian filmmakers – Onir, Rima Das, Imtiaz Ali, and Kabir Khan. My Melbourne will have its world premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne’s (IFFM) Opening Night on Thursday 15 August.
My Melbourne is a truly inclusive feature film, celebrating diverse voices and talents. The four filmmakers worked with emerging Australian creatives from underrepresented backgrounds to create four films about identity and belonging, based on authentic migrant experiences.
My Melbourne anthology includes:
EMMA
Director: Rima Das
Co-Director: Samira Cox
English / Auslan
Emma is a talented deaf dancer in her early 20s, living with Usher’s Syndrome, with increasing doubts over her sense of self and her career as a professional dancer. Since childhood, she has dreamed of dancing professionally, but industry discrimination and other struggles are holding her back and altering her relationship with dance. Emma is encouraged to dance by Jai, her friends, and her loving mother who is her biggest supporter.
However, no one truly understands her unique challenges until she meets Nathan, a highly successful deaf dancer who is at peace with himself.
Rima Das is one of India’s most celebrated filmmakers and winner of several national and international awards, creating two of India’s most celebrated films in the international arena. From Assam to the Oscars, Rima’s determination and vision exemplify truly independent cinema.
NANDINI
Director: Onir
Co-Director: William Duan
English / Bengali
A story of grief and forgiveness, Nandini follows the reunion of a queer Indian man, Indraneel and his father Mihir after many years of estrangement. The pair are thrust together again when Mihir comes from India to Melbourne to complete the Asthi Visarjan ash-spreading ceremony after the passing of his late wife, Indraneel’s mother.
Onir is one of India’s most iconic filmmakers, often referred to as the face of India’s Indie Cinema and the LGBTQI movement. He is best known for his film, My Brother…Nikhil, based on the life of Dominic d’Souza. Nikhil was one of the first mainstream Hindi films to deal with AIDS and same-sex relationships.
JULES
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Co-Director: Tammy Yang
Hindi/ English
Sakshi is a 23-year-old newly married girl who has recently moved to Melbourne. She has no friends, a controlling husband, a passion for food blogging and a love for vanilla slices. Jules is a 52-year-old homeless woman, with a critical tongue, a survivor’s spirit, and a flair for crossword puzzles and poetry. Their world collides on the pavement of Melbourne when a timid Sakshi comes face to face with an irate Jules. While no two people are more different, no two women are more displaced, they form an unlikely connection as they navigate their individual struggles.
Imtiaz Ali is often described as Bollywood’s bard of young, modern love. The creator of several beautiful and complex films about love and identity, Imtiaz is a highly regarded writer, producer and director. Ali’s latest film Amar Singh Chamkila (2024), a biographical film about the legendary Punjabi singer, is garnering exceptional success since its April 2024 release on Netflix.
SETARA
Director: Kabir Khan
Co-Director: Puneet Gulati
English / Dari
Setara follows a journey of belonging for a 15-year-old girl as she attempts to rebuild her life in Melbourne after fleeing Taliban rule in Afghanistan with her mother and older sister. The three women do their best to move forward with their lives, but they are rooted in their past and harbour painful loss, further complicated by growing tensions within the family.
Based on Setara’s life, the film is the story of her finding her sense of belonging through cricket.
Multi-award-winning director Kabir Khan is one of India’s most respected and sought-after filmmakers with a style very much his own. Khan began as a documentary filmmaker and is known for his brilliant cinematographic skills. Khan’s films have grossed over 500M worldwide. His most recent film ‘83’, which released in December 2022, has been hailed as one of the most loved Indian Sports films of all time, grossing $1.5M at the Australian box office alone, and still counting.
My Melbourne is produced by Mitu Bhowmick Lange AM.
15th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne
Festival dates: 15 – 25 August
