Aby Rao
Independent filmmaker
An introduction: Independent filmmaking is an exhilarating experience. It gives you the freedom to tell stories that you are passionate about without having to worry about financial outcomes.
It has empowered me to tell stories about immigrants and refugees, which are generally not showcased in mainstream media. I am proud to work primarily with cast and crew members belonging to minority communities. I lean towards telling women-centric narratives within a working-class milieu. Moreover, I set my movies in North Carolina and shoot locally, emphasizing the cultural richness of our own communities.
I immerse myself in every aspect of filmmaking, from writing to distribution. I consider filmmaking as an amalgamation of various art forms such as creative writing, visual art, dance, theater, music, illustration and even graphic design. Filmmaking gives me the chance to express myself through various artistic disciplines.
Professional highlight: I consider myself a “weekend storyteller.” Not many people realize that film production is a marathon, not a sprint. There are multiple layers to the process, which require immense patience and perseverance. In addition to that, significant funding and strong ethics are required to complete a project.
With minimal funding and limited formal education specific to the art of filmmaking, I completed my first feature film in less than three years. “Parallel Parking” was released in 2018. The film received recognition from several film festivals and was screened locally at the Cary Theater. It was truly gratifying to see years of hard work come to fruition.
A second related accomplishment is the creation of the Home Is Distant Shores Film Festival. It is a celebration of immigrant and refugee stories that embraces the power of visual storytelling. I co-founded the festival to enable other filmmakers to present a fresh perspective on what “home away from home” means to them.
About the movie: “Parallel Parking” explores the unconventional relationship between a middle-aged Tibetan undocumented immigrant and a Dominican truck driver, who has his own emotional and mental challenges.
(See the movie on Amazon Prime Video or at vimeo.com/ondemand/parallelparking.)
Inspiration: I am fortunate to live in culturally-diverse Wake county, which I believe is also a microcosm of our multicultural nation. Given my passion for storytelling, and being an immigrant myself, I found my niche in narrating immigrant experiences set in the South.
Immigration is a contentious topic. Even casual conversations can quickly get politicized, but what often gets lost in the shuffle are the personal journeys.
For each immigrant, it is a journey of a thousand miles that begins with a single step. The family ties, food, rituals, customs and attire, that each immigrant brings with them from their place of origin is what piques my interest. My desire to learn about other cultures, as well as to tell an engaging story by focusing on the personal or human elements, is what fuels my passion.
