American actor Mark Bennington says he has visited Lucknow only twice, but his connection with the city has shaped new avenues. The Heeramandi actor says that his visit inspired him to make the short film Dear Tillo, with which he turned writer, director, and producer.
On his recent visit, to participate in Lucknow Film Festival Season 4, he says, “It’s a film that actually happened because of my previous visit to Lucknow as a jury member. I saw so many short films and it kind of gave me an idea of what I would do if I were to ever make a short film? It inspired me to make a universally themed film that is easy to watch, with which the audience could relate to, and has a little twist at the end. So, the seed of this short film was born in Lucknow.”
Recently seen in Vibes and Operation Safed Sagar, Bennington says he shot for the film last year. “Last winter I did the whole edit and sound design, everything. And then this year, started submitting it to the film festivals. We had our world premiere in Chicago South Asian Film Festival, at International Film Festival South Asia Toronto, then Mumbai and in Pune where we got the best actor award. After Lucknow, we are going to Jaipur, the Indian festival in Florence. It is slowly making its way around the globe.”
Working on his own project gave him the opportunity to explore something different from what he is offered.
“Nobody has ever seen me in a role like this because I play a regular guy, a professor from the United States who’s come to India for the first time searching for his former student.”
He adds, “They meet again, and he realises that the life he had imagined for her is very different from the one she is actually leading. That’s where the story unfolds. He arrives with a certain expectation, only to discover that reality is quite different from what he had envisioned. That’s what makes it interesting!”
On his experience in Lucknow he says, “This time I noticed a change. Two years back, during the screening, it was a pretty respectable audience that was quietly watching and intent and listening. But, this time, people were having full conversations while someone was even doing a video call which was quite distracting. Even during the question and answer session it continued. There’s only so many times you can tell somebody to be quiet. But, anyways, I watched some nice films, so it was a mixed experience.” He film was showcased in the Beyond Borders in the international film section.