In this episode we explore a film that mashes up the textures of Indian cinema with a Canadian coming-of-age picture. The Queen Of My Dreams is a comedy-drama that explores the casm between desires and expectations. Set Against the backdrop of a shared obsession with Bollywood fantasy. Mariam, a Pakistani Muslim woman, and her Canadian-born daughter Azra come of age in two different eras.

I was joined by writer and director Fawzia Mirza.

Fawzia is a Canadian film and TV actress, writer, producer, and director. Her work includes web series Kam Kardashian and Brown Girl Problems, and the 2017 film Signature Move. Mizra came out as a Muslim lesbian in 2016, and describes herself as "a lesbian, Muslim, Pakistani, actor, activist, writer, producer, lawyer and creature of passion". Her first short film, also titled The Queen of My Dreams was inspired from feelings as a young girl. Fawzia Mirza fell under the spell of Bollywood heroines and their promise of love and feminine perfection. As an adult, she looks back and re-imagines the epic romance in the classic film Aradhana, in a queer light. In 2020, her feature screenplay adaptation of The Queen of My Dreams was accepted into the Toronto International Film Festival Writers Studio and Filmmaker Lab, under the working title Me, My Mom & Sharmila. The film was shot in 2022, under the working title Me, My Mom & Sharmila. It was adapted from Mirza's theatrical stage play of the same name. 

The 2023 Atlantic International Film Festival is just around the corner, and with it comes a new line-up of films across a fresh collection of streams. This podcast showcases the voices of filmmakers whose work will feature in the 2023 program, going deep behind the vision and motivation for each film.

Find out More:
https://atlanticfilmfestival.ca/

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