Canadian filmmaking journey
KOCHI: Seema Sreekumar’s transformation from a classic music teacher-performer to a film director has been a steep learning curve. The Kanjangad native who has been settled in Canada for the past 15 years made her debut directorial through the Malayalam feature film Oru Canadian Diary a romantic psychological thriller. The film is expected to release across Kerala on December 10. TNIE caught up with Seema and her film which is touted to be the first Malayalam movie to feature 80 per cent Canadian locations.
The beautiful landscapes of Canada enchanted Seema since the day she got there. A graduate in filmmaking and direction from Toronto, Seema chose to make a film that captures the nature and serenity of the place.
Her husband M V Sreekumar did the cinematography and produced the film under the banner Sreem Productions. “I had a story in my mind. But I have not written anything in Malayalam before this. I approached my friends and relatives to write the script but nothing was not satisfactory. So, I wrote it myself. I want people to feel like they visited the place after watching Oru Canadian Diary,” says the great-granddaughter of renowned poet P Kunhiraman Nair.
The film was completed before the pandemic but the post-production got delayed due to the outbreak. Seema has cast Malayalis from Canada as well as from Kerala for the movie. The biggest challenge for her was filming in the cold climate which came down to minus 20 degrees Celsius. “I was adamant about covering almost all picturesque locations, including Niagara Falls in Ontario. Due to the cold, our cameras got frozen and we had to bring them back to room temperature before we shoot again. I had to arrange an extra crew to ensure the safety of artists, especially youngsters, who would carelessly play in the snow. Frostbites can be a real problem here,” she says.
She also elaborates on the discrimination and gender disparity that is still rampant in India, in almost all fields, including art. “Women have to struggle for their space in Kerala too. Patriarchy and egotism are still prevalent everywhere and stop women from getting to better places. I am a mother of three young kids. My debut movie is also also a message to the society that despite age and responsibilities, women can do everything they set their hearts to,” adds Seema.