2:47pm Friday 11th May 2007
By David Doyle
A FILM exploring Asian culture shot in Southall was premiered this week.
Harjinder Grewal's Thoughts of Yesterday, Feelings of Today, about an elderly British-Asian man who is thinking of returning to India, was screened at Pitzhanger Manor on Thursday.
Mr Grewal made the film for the Who Are We? exhibition at Pitzhanger Manor with a £4,000 grant from the Ealing and Hounslow Short Film Production Fund.
Harjinder Grewal said: "In putting together Thoughts of Yesterday, Feelings of Today I wanted to explore a transitional moment in a man's life where due to losing his job he decides to return to his homeland uncertain of what this may bring and whether or not he will even belong there.
"We filmed over three days and Southall provided the perfect backdrop. We were also lucky enough to have some great people involved including known film and TV veterans Badi Uzzaman and Gurdial Sira.
"Both were absolutely ideal for their parts as they themselves are of that particular generation and experience.
"I hope that after watching the film people might understand that migration is not as black and white as what appears in the papers. People often make choices for important life changing reasons and these decisions have consequences at a deeper, more sublime level that builds up over time."
Mr Grewal beat 19 other entrants for the film funding after being selected by a panel of judges including cllr Seema Kumar (Con, Acton Central).
Councillor Seema Kumar said: "This film is a wonderful local production that explores what it means to be Asian and British.
"We had so many fabulous entries to choose from and the council is proud to support the range of creative talent we have here in Ealing."
The film is being screened at Pitzhanger Manor house until June 10.
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