Aniksha
Aniksha is a young woman from the Indo-Mauritian diaspora. After her arranged marriage, she finds a job at a call center, a booming industry in Mauritius. There she encounters her enigmatic supervisor and discovers a world of possibilities. This new worldview places Aniksha between the choice of tradition or of a modern lifestyle.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Vincent Toi
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Aniksha embodies a new generation of Mauritian youth who has benefited from the economic growth of the 80's. What was once considered, least developed country, has now become one of the most developed countries in Africa. Although the economic system has embraced globalization, Mauritians are still living in a conservative society.
Aniksha’s conflict is found in a desire to find the space beyond the traditional conservative and beyond the modern Mauritius. I wanted to make this film to explore the multiple face of post-colonialism, as the two worlds that Aniksha inhabits are both rooted in colonialism.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I think that the audience will discover a new world while watching this film. A world that exists in parallel with the western world.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I immigrated from Mauritius to Canada in 2001, and the search for identity that Aniksha embarks on echoes my search for a better understanding of who I am. Aniksha's identity has been shaped through years of living under post-colonial powers in Mauritius. She has the desire to go beyond this tamed, colonized mindset. To do so, she will have to break the rules that regulate her world to see what lies beyond this frontier. This desire exists in many young Mauritians. This phenomenon leads to a massive brain drain as anyone who can leave the island, will take the opportunity, thus creating an important Mauritian global diaspora in which I am part of. Aniksha did not have the chance to leave the island and tackles seeing beyond these frontiers in her new job at the call centre.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The original script was about the tourism industry. The idea was that Aniksha would work in a high-end hotel. After a series of iterations, it later shifted to a call center as I thought it would be interesting that the only interaction Aniksha has with the west was through phone calls only.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The film has received great feedback. The film went to over thirty festivals around the world, among them the Toronto International film festival, the Aspen film festival, and the LA short film festival where it received the price for the best foreign film.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The short film format allows for a lot of creative ways of telling a story. One of the challenges of the short format is to tell a story from a little-known place. I am always asked a lot of questions about Mauritius, and a few people have heard of this place.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Since the film was released at the onset of the Pandemic, I think having it on as many platforms as possible would be the best way to share this film.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Film festival directors, journalists, and buyers.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
The film has many layers, and I am always pleasantly surprised when the audience talks about each one of those themes, such themes as colonialism, patriarchy, modernity and traditions, globalization. If the film spark a thought towards one of those ideas, this would be a success to me.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
The question that would spark a debate is what would be next for Aniksha?
After having rejected traditions and modernity, how will she build something new and find a new way of being?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am working on a music documentary. This documentary traces the history of the musical genre from the Indian Ocean. I am also working on a short film on migrant workers in Quebec.
Interview: May 2022
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Aniksha
Length:
0:20
Writer/Director/Producer
Born in Mauritius, Vincent Toi is an award-winning filmmaker and designer. His work as a filmmaker revolves around the power structure that governs colonized communities. His films have been screened at festivals such as the Berlinale, Toronto International Film Festival, and Hot Docs. Vincent has also worked with the Artist Institute in direct partnership with communities in Haiti to create pathways out of poverty by expanding access to education and providing training in creative industries.
Producer
Guillaume Collin is a director and producer. He has directed the short films Everything Will Be Alright, Just You and Me and the indie films Soft Gun and Me Without You. His films deal with the theme of intimacy in love relationships and families.
He is a Berlinale Talents alumni. His newest film Babatoura (2021) won the Best International Short Film Award at the Torino Film Festival.
He is also the co-founder of Arpent Films and has produced many independent films.
Key cast:
Neeshi Beeharry, Laurent Lucas, Kris Mootien
Looking for:
journalists, film festival directors, buyers
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/vincent_toi
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/anikshafilm
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/v_toi
Hashtags used:
#Anikshafilm
Screened at:
Pan African Film Festival