In the early 1990s, while I was working at the National Film Board in Montreal, I developed and pitched a feature-length docu-drama to the Documentary Studio. It was accepted, and I went on to develop the film over the next two years. This involved market research and development, primary and secondary content research—a lot of digging in archives here and abroad—still photography, video tests, and writing the script. After completing the script in 1995, my film was one of about 20 that were cut just before going into production.

Called Eq Yatra (A Journey) the film explored a metaphysical journey of my family from India, through Iraq and Britain, using the metaphor of Neelam's then blue eyes. She is my youngest niece.

Here's an excerpt. Voice over is on the left; all other sound effects including music are on the right with the picture track.

Little India, Gerrard Street, Toronto, 1985. With a couple of exceptions, everything was closed. The oasis had become a desert. I felt the tension mount as we got out of the car, walked down the empty street, and into a restaurant.

Back at our friends' house, the radio was on an Asian community station. "Air India, flight 182, Kanishka"...and the list. That's all I remember.

The names being read seemed without beginning or end...till suddenly I heard her name. And then her teenaged-daughter's.

I can still see her outside the gurudwara near Lionel Groulx. Just a week or so ago.

My Mum called out to her.

I can see her face, her lips moving, but I don't hear any voice.

That night I couldn't sleep. Not alone. I'd spent the evening throwing up.

Sleep became revealed as another nation-state. But I didn't have a passport. I couldn't move.



Disaster grasped at my parents. My mother!!!

I had to stay a wake.






Huddled in blankets in a corner, I stared at her bed.

But the window kept calling out to met.

I tried so hard not to look at it!!!





Over the blaring music, dancing, and people in search of drink, Kenny introduced Dolly to his older brother, Bob. 1978.

The Champlain College basketball team was throwing a party...somewhere in the wilds of St. Lambert. Kenny's brother enjoyed sports too basketball, rugby, weight lifting. But outside his job as a clerk in a shipping company, Bob's competing passion was reading. Dolly's never met an athletic bibliophile before.

....

(Little India....)
STYLIZED LA SLOW MOTION EXT. AFTERNOON:
MOLLY ON SWING IN silvaar kameez


DISSOLVE TO LA ARCHIVE SLOW MOTION: UNDERWATER FOOTAGE OF AIR INDIA WRECKAGE

DISSOLVE TO STYLIZED LA SLOW MOTION: MOLLY WALKS AWAY FROM SWINGS (M-CU SHOT FROM BEHIND MOLLY, i.e. MOLLY'S FEET FALL INTO FRAME AS SHE JUMPS OFF SWING)


STYLIZED LA SLOW MOTION, EXT. WINDY AFTERNOON: SURJIT, MOLLY & WOMAN, DRESSED IN DEEP PURPLE

- SURJIT, STANDING NEXT TO MOLLY, WAVING TO WOMAN
- LS WOMAN TURNING, THEN WALKING AWAY

BACK TO AIR INDIA WRECKAGE

BACK TO STYLIZED LA SLOW MOTION:
- MOLLY SEES SURJIT'S NO LONGER BESIDE HER
- LS SURJIT WALKING AWAY, WEARING IDENTICAL CLOTHES TO WOMAN

[SFX, AS LOUD AS POSSIBLE, UNDER CONTINUING V.O.: PLANE TAKING OFF]

- M-LS MOLLLY RUNNING AFTER SURJIT, WHO KEEPS ON WALKING AWAY
OR: 
- MOLLY'S P.O.V RUNNING AFTER SURJIT

DISSOLVE TO LA ARCHIVE SLOW MOTION: AIR INDIA WRECKAGE BEING LIFTED OUT OF THE OCEAN

("...I stared at her bed. ....")
DISSOLVE TO LA STYLIZED SLOW MOTION: CU MOLLY'S FACE; HER EYES ARE CLOSED; SHE'S SUBMERGED IN A SWIMMING POOL

SURJIT REACHES INTO FRAME; SHE BEGINS TO PULL MOLLY OUT OF THE WATER

FREEZE FRAME:
STAYS IN SUPER OVER FIRST SHOT OF NEXT SEQUENCE

("Over the blaring....)
STYLIZED LA SLOW MOTION, MID-EVENING: KIRAN AND NEELAM JUMPING UP AND DOWN, PLAYING ON DOLLY & BOB'S OCCUPIED BED

[CUT SFX PLANE TAKING OFF AFTER, "his older brother, Bob, 1978.]

......