What was your inspiration for the film?
I have loved ones in my community who do not believe in conventional medicine. They have their reasons for distrust of mainstream medicine and pharmaceutical companies, some of it may be legitimate. However, it is challenging to see them refuse treatments or be noncompliant with medication as it can impact their future health. For me that was seed of the idea for the film. Later, the theme morphed into was “what kind of impact happens on caregivers whose loved ones are not in tune with their own limitations or limited understanding of issues facing them?” As a healthcare worker, these questions are even more relevant to me as I see similar issues come up in my patients’ families and communities.
How were you able to fund the project?
The project was mostly supported though the Canada Council for the Arts. Initially, I had gotten a small grant from Digital Originals program to make a short experimental film about women with chronic illness. As I was preparing for that project, I thought about the script that I had already written (which was “A Poem From Anna”). After receiving the grant, I requested to change my project to a narrative fiction film and that is how the film came about. After using in-kind donations and private fundraising, we were able to shoot the film. Later, I sought a post-production grant from Canada Council for the Arts to complete the film.
How long did the project take?
In 2019, while I was transitioning into healthcare, I wrote a series of short scripts around women’s issue of health, illness, and disability. Along with A Poem From Anna, I wrote two other scripts. The production of the project began taking fruition in 2020, particularly after I got my first grant. The production had stalled due to Covid and since I was in medical school. We managed to film during a lull in the pandemic when the restrictions had eased. After production, we had to wait one full year before the funding for the project pulled through.
How were you able to balance the production of the film with load of going through medical school?
There is no doubt that academic responsibilities in med school can be quite extensive, but I think that is all the more reason I needed an outlet to prevent myself from burning out. Film has been a wonderful creative outlet for me while I do more rigorous kind of intellectual work. I have a very simple rule for myself as far as my creative life is concerned. I work in “15 minute” bouts which means I do some school work, then take a small break, and then set a timer for 15 minutes to do any creative work (like writing, pre-producing the movie, etc). That is how I managed to produce and direct this film while being in medical school.
How did you manage to shoot during the pandemic?
It was challenging but somehow the timing worked for us. I think the important thing to remember is that that it is after all a short film and we just had a three-day shoot. This means we didn’t need as extensive planning as would have been required for a feature film, for example. We planned the shoot at a time when there was a lull in the pandemic (at the end of 2021) when there was a general sense that the pandemic was receding. The restrictions had eased a bit so we were able to do our planning. However, literally the day after our last day of shoot, there were once again massive restrictions in Ontario which, had they come earlier, would have made the production timing very difficult.
What is your goal for the film?
I hope people feel moved by the film and compelled to appreciate that sometimes we can’t change other people, especially our loved ones, who may not be making the best choices for their well-being. Despite that or in spite of that reality, we just have to accept what is out of our control and show up to love unconditionally.
What was your favorite part of the production?
I take a lot of pride in building, facilitating, and managing a strong team for this project. It was my first narrative fiction in which I was the executive producer and the director. Despite some setbacks at different stages, it was pretty much a smooth ride. Before the shoot, I told our team that although the end-product was important, the process of it was more important so that we have a safe, respectful, nurturing work environment for everyone on set. People, from set design to camera to sound to craft services to actors, just gave their heart out to the project and the vision of the story. I genuinely feel blessed to have this kind of a team and experience for my first professional narrative production as a director/producer.
What are your hopes for distribution?
I hope this film gets picked up by distribution company because it is the kind of story that will resonate with many families. We have put together a full-fledged festival strategy which we hope will spread the word about the film. We also plan to do more social media marketing and facilitate discussions on the main topics brought up in the film.