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Shook film image; close on man

Shook

Northern Lights

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For Ashish (Saamer Usmani), everything is complicated: he’s finished his MFA, but he’s stuck in a creative block; he’s completed a novella, but publishers keep turning it down; he’s estranged from his father, but is obligated to care for him after a grave diagnosis; he’s just met a nice girl, but she’s leaving town in three weeks. Shook follows Ash through these travails, offering a relatable portrait of life in transition as well as a loving depiction of Scarborough, Ontario.

Amar Wala’s film has the feel of lived experience—there’s an authenticity that comes through in the depictions of Ash’s urban surroundings, and there are no false assurances offered. Wala also elicits some fine performances: besides the charismatic Usmani, there are winning turns by Pamela Sinha as Ash’s strong-willed mother, Bernard White as his irreverent father, and Amy Forsyth as his partner in a romance that may be transitory but is genuine nonetheless.

 

Sept 30: Q&A with director Amar Wala

 

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Supported by

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Community Partner

     

Director
Cast

Saamer Usmani, Amy Forsyth, Bernard White, Pamela Sinha, Shomari Downer, Faizan Khan

Credits
Country of Origin

Canada

Year

2024

Language

In English and Hindi with English subtitles

Film Contact
18+

At International Village

19+

At Fifth Avenue

113 min
Family Relations Romance
Scarborough Pictures, Film Forge

Book Tickets

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Credits & Director

Executive Producer

Travis Farncombe, Omar Chalabi, Adrian Love

Producer

Karen Harnisch, Amar Wala

Screenwriter

Amar Wala, Adnan Khan

Cinematography

Peter Hadfield

Editor

Shaun Rykiss

Production Design

Nicole Simmons

Original Music

Kalaisan Kalaichelvan

Amar Wala headshot; Shook director

Amar Wala

Amar Wala is a writer, director, and producer who was born in Mumbai and now lives in Toronto. His many credits include the award-winning documentary The Secret Trial 5 (2014) and the TV series In the Making (2018) and Next Stop (2019-2021). Shook is his dramatic feature debut.

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