A new film explores the rich and complex multicultural fabric of Melbourne.

‘My Melbourne’, features the work of celebrated Indian filmmakers Onir, Rima Das, Imtiaz Ali, and Kabir Khan.

It tells the true stories of marginalised people from migrant communities, including a deaf dancer searching for her sense of self, a gay son reconciling with his estranged father, a 15-year-old Afghan refugee starting anew, and two displaced women forging an unexpected bond.

The four-part anthology-style film delves into these poignant narratives to expose the complex inter-relationships in Melbourne’s growing South Asian communities.

The film premiered at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) this month and will be on general release in cinemas in February.

Onir is a trailblazer in the Indian film industry and is one of the few openly gay filmmakers in Bollywood.

He describes the film as a heartfelt ode to Melbourne.

“Melbourne always made me feel that I belong and that I am loved. ‘My Melbourne’ for me is a film that celebrates what Melbourne stands for – a space that embraces diversity and celebrates inclusion,” Onir said.

The filmmaker has been a frequent visitor to the city in the past few years, bringing his films to the festival.

His segment in the film is the story of a gay son who reconnects with his father as they both navigate the grief of losing a loved one – a story of grief, forgiveness, acceptance, and inclusion. 

“My Melbourne captures this essence through various migrant experiences. As a filmmaker too, it was about sharing cinematic language and culture, being an Indian filmmaker working with an Australian cast and crew,” Onir said. 

Rima Das directed a segment that serves as both an “emotional and uplifting” experience as it follows a deaf dancer in her early 20s, living with Usher’s Syndrome. 

“The theme of our film is disability and we wanted to keep it very authentic and real. We worked with a mix of senior actors and relatively new actors, including members of the deaf community,” says Das, adding that she was “the outcome,” Ms Das said.

Imtiaz Ali’s segment tackles the bond between a 23-year-old newly married girl who has just arrived in Melbourne and a homeless woman. 

“I was moved by the story of two very different yet displaced women in marvellous Melbourne,” Mr Ali said.

“Working with a talented cast of young creative minds was a “huge learning experience,” he said. 

Kabir Khan was drawn to the story of a young Afghan refugee who finds solace in cricket.

“Hearing the story of Setara for the first time in 2021 immediately drew me in. True stories portraying the triumph of the human spirit always have a special appeal for me.

“Setara’s unique escape from Afghanistan to Melbourne and her finding a sense of belonging through cricket made this a story I had to tell.

“Working with local emerging creatives and the wonderful girls’ cricket teams of Melbourne made this an even more authentic and wonderful experience.” Mr Khan said.

The film was produced Mitu Bhowmick Lange, who is also the director of IFFM.

He said the film’s aim was to shine a light on underrepresented and authentic migrant stories.

“We believe that the success of telling a story comes from its authenticity and empathy. This has always been our endeavour with ‘My Melbourne’ The film has been made with a lot of love, across cultures and countries, with a diverse cast and crew of different abilities, languages, and backgrounds,” he said. Find out more and book tickets here: Indian Film Festival Of Melbourne – IFFM