Asian Heritage Month Spotlight on Faisal

(This was copied from the facebook page of BIPOC TV & Film, a grassroots organization and collective of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour in Canada’s TV and film industry. It is a private site, so this is a transcript of the interview)

May 17 BIPOC TV & Film Asian Heritage Month Spotlight on:
Writer-Director Faisal Lutchmedial
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Twitter: @faisallutch
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Faisal is in pre-production for an Ontario Arts Council funded short film called Beneath Us, about two undocumented sisters trapped in an underground sweatshop. Please follow: https://www.facebook.com/BeneathUsMovie/
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Projects you’ve loved working on:
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As a director I loved working on my short film Mr. Crab, one of the few projects I’ve done where I felt we were able to get exactly what I wanted on camera. The finished film captures the fear and magic of a child’s imagination, and I am immensely proud of what the entire team helped create. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/k31zbt-fLZQ As a writer it has to be my time on The Listener as the Bell Media WGC Diverse Screenwriting Intern / Story Editor. The experience was really special because the entire writer’s room welcomed and encouraged me to participate in the process – I remember just having a big smile on my face every single day.
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Currently working on:
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I have a procedural medical drama series I’m mapping out right now, but it’s early days. I’m also re-writing a paranormal thriller pilot, converting it into a feature. The script is turning out different in all the right ways, and I’m having fun infusing it with some dashes of the Caribbean as well.
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What does being Asian in the industry mean to you:
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My parents come from two different places, Bangladesh and Trinidad & Tobago, and so I am both East and West Indian. Their backgrounds are radically different (religions too) so I feel like a child of many places. I think this is exactly the kind of story that defines Canada – and it definitely influences the kinds of stories I strive to create and share.
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Dream project:
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I have a feature film called Path of Light which I’ve been dreaming of making for ten years. It’s a love story about ex-lovers rekindling their relationship in India, but caught up in the nostalgia and pain of their past.
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Favourite way to procrastinate:
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I must admit I play a lot of video games. Find me on Xbox if you want to procrastinate together! (Xbox ID: Phizeal) It is possible I am creating a drama webseries that I am “filming” within a game. Is that procrastinating?!?

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