Immigrant Cinema: A Personal Odyssey in Independent Filmmaking"

Poster of PARALLEL PARKING, directed by Aby Rao.

What Immigrant Cinema Means to Me Immigrant cinema, to me, is about exploring the deeply personal stories of individuals who leave behind their homeland to seek new lives in foreign lands. It’s a genre that delves into identity, displacement, acculturation, and the unique challenges and triumphs that come with building a new life. What fascinates me is how immigrant films can span a wide range of styles—from comedy that highlights the humorous side of cultural clashes to neorealism, which captures the raw, everyday struggles with an authentic, gritty lens. I think of films like The Namesake (2006) that portrays the Indian-American experience or A Better Life (2011), a powerful drama about a Mexican gardener in Los Angeles, as windows into the complexity of immigrant life.

My Filmmaking Roots I grew up in Mumbai, immersed in the world of cinema. Some of my family members were in the Indian film industry, and my earliest memories are filled with Bollywood and Hollywood films. I vividly recall watching Jaws as a kid—certain scenes from that movie are still burned into my brain. That’s the power of cinema; it engraves itself in your soul. By the time I completed my Master's in Television Management from Drexel University in Philadelphia in 2006, I knew filmmaking wasn’t just a passion, it was my path. I picked up a digital camera, built my editing suite, and dove in headfirst. Discovering My Voice in Immigrant Cinema

Over the past two decades, I’ve released two feature films and more than a dozen shorts, all of which are publicly available for viewing. I’ve always been drawn to telling immigrant stories, inspired by filmmakers like Ramin Bahrani, Sean Baker, and Kelly Reichardt. Movies like Goodbye Solo and Take Out, which spotlight immigrant protagonists, pushed me to combine my interest in immigrant issues with neorealistic filmmaking. I’ve come to realize that there are so many untold immigrant stories in small-town America. These stories, filled with cultural, social, and economic conflicts, often don’t make it to mainstream media. My filmmaking team, mostly made up of immigrants or individuals from minority groups, brings their own life experiences into the creative process, making our films richer and more authentic. My feature films, Parallel Parking (2018) and The Marriage Plot (2020) portray two very different immigrant stories. Parallel Parking dives into the challenges faced by an immigrant forced to make a new start, while The Marriage Plot takes a humorous look at the pursuit of a green card and the complexities of gaining legal status Why Immigrant Cinema Matters In my experience, there are so many stories about immigrants—both new arrivals and those who have been here for years—that are still waiting to be told. Immigrant cinema is not just about the struggles or challenges, it’s about humanizing those experiences. My films aim to shine a light on the lives of the “invisible immigrant working class,” people whose stories are often overshadowed or misrepresented. I hope that when people watch my films, they walk away with a deeper understanding of what it means to be an immigrant, especially in a place like small-town America, where cultural and racial divides can be more pronounced. Parallel Parking in particular takes a close look at the friendship between two lead characters from different backgrounds, showing how bonds can form despite race, religion, and cultural differences. It challenges the preconceived notions people have about friendship and identity in immigrant communities. Though my films often deal with dark themes, they’re also filled with hope and moments of joy that come from the simple pleasures in life. I want to capture the resilience, hard work, and complex relationships that define the immigrant experience. The Importance of Immigrant Cinema in the Broader Film Landscape Films about immigrants do more than just share stories; they provide a lens into the human experience behind statistics and stereotypes. Immigrant cinema explores the complex identities, struggles, and dreams of people who are often marginalized or misunderstood. Movies like The Visitor (2007) show the vulnerability of undocumented immigrants, while The Namesake (2006) digs deep into the tension between generations of Indian-Americans navigating identity and belonging.

These films also challenge stereotypes, revealing immigrants not just as survivors of hardship but as active contributors to society. Take A Better Life (2011), for example. It tells the story of an undocumented Mexican gardener trying to provide for his son, showing the quiet dignity and resilience of someone often overlooked.

What I love about immigrant cinema is its ability to foster empathy. Films like Brooklyn (2015), which tells the story of a young Irish woman moving to New York, help audiences connect with the emotional challenges immigrants face—homesickness, loss, and the pursuit of dreams. At the same time, films like Sin Nombre (2009) and The Kite Runner (2007) serve as powerful social commentaries on xenophobia, racism, and immigration policies, exposing the harsh realities immigrants endure.

For me, films like The Farewell (2019) also represent a new chapter in immigrant cinema—one where immigrant filmmakers are given the space to tell their own stories, with all the nuance and authenticity that comes from lived experience. This is the kind of cinema I want to keep creating. It’s about celebrating the complexity of identity and the resilience of those who carve out new lives in unfamiliar lands.