4 minute read
Tavi’s tale of cultures and cinematic dreams
Tavi’s tale of cultures and cinematic dreams
From Frankston High School to Sydney, film student Tavishek Sharma speaks to Sarah Halfpenny about the making of his short film Maya the Illusion of Home, screening on SBS On Demand. What inspired you to create Maya the Illusion of Home?
The Australian Film Television & Radio School was given a brief by SBS, which called for short-form stories about under-represented parts of contemporary Australia, and I saw an opportunity to spotlight my FijiIndian heritage. My parents migrated from Fiji in 2000, and I was born in 2002. Many people are unaware of the Fiji-Indian community and its complex history with the British indentured labour system, let alone see it represented on screen. This motivated me to share our unique narrative.
Initially I wanted to explore how this historical context shaped my parents' journey to Australia. However, in February 2023 my grandfather’s passing and my grandmother’s subsequent move to Australia prompted a shift. Observing the cultural and societal expectations placed on women in my family, especially within the Fiji-Indian context, I felt compelled to focus on my grandmother's journey. Guided by my intuition, I decided to break away from the traditional migrant story seen on screens and use this opportunity not only to share my culture but also to critique it.
What challenges did you face during production?
Living and studying in Sydney while my family is in Melbourne posed a significant challenge. We had to get special permission to film in Melbourne earlier than the AFTRS-allocated shoot dates. Although we got permission, we weren’t allowed to take any gear from AFTRS. Additionally, because we were filming interstate, not everyone from my crew could travel, including Melika Azimi, my original cinematographer.
This is where Megan Gray came in as my cinematographer. I met Meg at Frankston High School through our media teacher, Annie Griffin. She was a year below me, but I was always inspired by her photography and cinematography. Meg had her own gear that met the required specs and she kindly agreed to help. Melika did all the pre-production work, which was then handed over to Meg, who filmed most of the film.
Working with Meg was wonderful. She is incredibly talented and patient, and she brought a calm and collected energy to the set. The perspective Meg offered as a woman filming another woman might not have been the same if a man had filmed it. I’m very grateful to her.
Your film explores themes of exploitation, resilience, and the concept of home. What message do you hope the audience takes away from it?
I want the audience to walk away with a sense of hope and admiration for the human spirit's ability to endure and adapt, even in the face of generational adversity.
I hope the film encourages viewers to consider how faith, family and cultural heritage shape different people’s understanding of home and identity.
How has your life evolved since graduating from Frankston High School and moving to Sydney to study at AFTRS?
Initially I was studying Fine Arts Photography at the Victorian College of the Arts in 2021. I took a documentary elective in my second semester and felt a strong calling towards film. I submitted the short film I made for that elective as part of my AFTRS application, and I got in. With no prior connections to the film industry, AFTRS has provided me with invaluable access and opportunities.
Another key moment in my journey was working as a script supervisor on an independent feature film called From All Sides, made by Bina Bhattacharya. Despite being a small, independent Australian production, it taught me everything I needed to know technically about film and how sets operate.
What does it mean to you to have Maya featured in AFTRS First Cut on SBS On Demand?
The opportunity to share my story authentically and see it reach a broader audience is immensely gratifying. It's also wonderful to showcase my language on screen. Fiji-Hindi is a distinct dialect, different from the Hindi spoken in mainland India, so knowing that it's being represented is really cool. My hope is that through this exposure more people will come to understand and appreciate the experiences of FijiIndians.
