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Non-Binary Teen’s Struggles Drive a Universal Tale
Reginald Ponder Hailing from India by way of Brooklyn, filmmaker Urvashi Pathania had to learn to get comfortable with uncomfortable conversations — starting at home. As a child immigrant, Pathania had to adapt to a new culture and new ways of existing that didn’t quite mesh with her parents’ upbringing. “I was always bringing these American ideas home and having to talk to them about how I was experiencing life versus how they grew up,” she says. By the time her short film project “Beasts” was selected for Indeed’s Rising Voices program, the producer-director was already well-versed in tackling challenging subjects in a way that brings people together. “I think I found a way to tell tough stories, but in a way that doesn’t alienate people,” says Pathania. While Pathania had to navigate various personal and cultural minefields over the course of her life, her career path has always been clear and direct. She entered her first film festival when she was just seven years old; once she discovered the power of film to inspire and educate, she pursued this path with a fierce intentionality. “One of the reasons I love being a filmmaker is because I get to dive really deep into whatever project I’m working on and immerse myself in different communities and see how different people live in the world,” says Pathania.
