Last year, her debut film  – Nina’s Heavenly Delights – screened at the Indo-American Arts Council’s 2006 film festival.   Now, the movie has just been released in New York City, with other US cities to follow soon.   Here’s my thoughts on the film from last fall.

Read on for  a brief chat with the film’s director Pratibha Parmar, on the occasion of the release:

Last year, we talked when Nina’s Heavenly Delights was shown at the IAAC Festival, now it’s opening in NY, a year later.   Tell me how that process has been over the last 12 months, getting from there to here?    
 
This past year has been a whirlwind.   NHD has screened at over 50 international film festivals and I have traveled to quite a few of these.   I feel guilty about my carbon footprint but this is the reward that an indie filmmaker gets which is the connection with audiences.

The film has won 3 Awards and almost everywhere I have been, it has been received with so much warmth and joy.   A couple of weeks ago I was in Paris for a film festival and there were 900 women who were in the audience and who just all stood up and clapped like for over 3 minutes.   It was a really special moment for me.   It took such a long time to get this movie made but at that moment all the angst and uncertainty was forgotten.

The fact that the film is getting a limited release here in NYC and then San Francisco on the 7th and more cities to follow after that, is an unexpected bonus.   As you know this is my debut feature and so to get international distribution is wonderful.

Maria:   Following up on that question, what has it meant for you?   On the phone constantly?   Traveling constantly?   Lots of schmoozing?

Pratibha:   All this traveling has meant that it has taken time away from my new projects which I am itching to get going on.   Now that the film is released here in the US, I am not going to travel anymore with it.   I am getting an allergy to airports and planes.  

Note:   Here’s an interview I did with Pratibha last year.