March 7, 2017
Indian-American Saila Kariat, who has made her directing
debut with "The Valley", says the US -- where a debate on immigrants has been
raging -- is going "backwards" under the leadership of President Donald Trump.
"Starting as a child, I immigrated from US-India-Canada-US, so I have seen
the evolution of attitudes towards immigrants. When I came back to the US in
1984, I felt it was so progressive compared to other countries," Kariat told
IANS in an email interview.
"However, I find recent developments in the
US alarming. The present government is taking the country backwards. To me, it
is a clear demonstration of how leadership is so important," she added.
After living in the US for over 20 years, Kariat picked up a story about an
immigrant family to tell through "The Valley". But she steered away from making
it a piece harping about their experiences in a foreign country. Instead, the
award-winning film, which released in India on March 2, throws light on an
important aspect: Depression.
It follows a distraught father as he
searches for answers after his college-age daughter's suicide.
On the
idea behind making the film, Kariat said: "I have lived in Silicon Valley for
over 20 years. I witnessed the pressure young people face to be successful, and
the cluster suicides in some Bay Area schools. The problems experienced there
can be found in most modern societies all over the world -- they are just more
intense in our high tech capital.
"Anxiety and depression are on the rise
amongst young adults, and the reasons are complex. I explore this in the movie.
I have also seen mental health problems go unaccepted or ignored in the Indian
community. There is a lot of stigma, particularly amongst Asians."
Produced by Wavefront Productions, "The Valley" stars Alyy Khan and Suchitra
Pillai. The film has won awards at many film extravaganzas like the Berlin
International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema, Madrid International Film
Festival, Out of the Can Film Festival and DC South Asian Film Festival.
Making the movie was not at all easy.
"I had the story idea about eight
years ago, and started writing the script about four years ago. Independent
filmmaking is a process full of obstacles, and mine was no different. I had to
raise the money, find the crew and cast. Raising the funding was a challenge, as
this was my first feature.
"Then I worked extremely hard on casting with
Lauren Herrel. I could not find the right actors in the US, so I reached out to
India and Pakistan. That's how I found Alyy Khan, Suchitra Pillai and Samina
Peerzada."
Kariat, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, was born in Berkeley
and worked as an engineer for many years. Her father was a professor and moved
jobs.
After getting married and embracing motherhood with two children,
she started her own residential construction company. It was after that she
gradually realised her passion for filmmaking, and embarked on her journey to
make it come true by getting a degree in film at San Jose State University.
"I love filmmaking -- the creative process. I am struggling with filmmaking
-- the business. Due to various reasons, I have had to drive the business end of
the movie, and that has been challenging. However, it is truly a passion. Anyone
who has made a feature can tell you the sacrifices involved. You can't do it
unless you truly love it," said Kariat, who has produced some projects as well.
In "The Valley", she has tackled the sensitive subject of depression and
suicide. She says her vision is to touch hearts with her stories.
"I want
to tell stories that have some meaning and relevance in today's world. I do not
like gratuitous violence and sex. In some cases, the story calls for it, but I
feel many movies try to introduce these elements simply to make themselves
commercial.
"I want to tell stories that touch people's souls, not make
them cringe."