Films: Desi Director’s Critically Acclaimed Hollywood Movie
With City of Dreams, his directorial debut, Mohit Ramchandani has delivered an intense, well-crafted thriller that is also “a weapon of mass inspiration in the war against child trafficking.” In our free-ranging conversation over a virtual meeting, he talks about the dogged determination that helped him pull off his dream despite being relatively unknown in the industry.
When done right, films have, time and again, proven to be an excellent medium for telling real-life stories. The stunning visuals and the deeply moving sound effects in a dark cinema hall have the potential to create an impact that often continues to simmer in the consciousness of the viewer long after the end credits roll. That is certainly true of Mohit Ramchandani’s
City of Dreams, which tells the heart-wrenching story of Jesús, a young Mexican boy whose dreams of becoming a soccer star are shattered when he’s trafficked across the border and sold to a sweatshop in downtown Los Angeles.
Written and directed by Ramchandani, the film has the look and feel of a slick, big-budget, big-banner Hollywood production. “Amidst the heart-wrenching drama, City of Dreams, offers a cinematic experience that is nothing short of a masterpiece. Beautifully shot and skillfully edited, the film delivers social impact wrapped in a powerful true story, with action sequences that keep viewers on the edge of their seats,” reads a review in Haute Living, a lifestyle magazine. According to a review in Me Gusta El Cine, a Spanish language site dedicated to movies, “The work of writer-director Mohit Ramchandani is competent. It effectively emphasizes the filth and darkness of the house where Jesús works, making it feel like a kind of cave with no way out, made up of endless unpleasant rooms and bathrooms and places where people are tortured and abused.”
This is not to say that there aren’t film critics who have not panned the movie. According to a review by Monica Castilo, writing in the esteemed forum of rogerebert.com, the film is “… a sensationalized portrait of the problem, the kind of movie that doesn’t pull at the heartstrings so much as it takes a jackhammer to them. A not insignificant portion of the run time is dedicated to watching a child beaten over and over again as overlong close-ups capture every tear he sheds.”
But love it or hate it, the film seems to have struck a chord. Mark J. Biedlingmaier, bureau chief of staff at the U.S. Department of State, was so impressed by the film that he decided to share it with his colleagues at the State Department and The White House, saying, “It is one of the most emotionally engaging films I have ever seen.”
In many ways, City of Dreams mirrors the director’s own tale of transformation, resilience, and redemption. Ramchandani was born in India and grew up in Hong Kong. His childhood was greatly influenced by his
father who had survived abuse and worked in a weatshop himself. Ramchandani’s own remarkable journey correlates with the film’s story of self-discovery and hope.
[Right] Film poster of City of Dreams
Can you share about your upbringing? How did that influence City of Dreams?
My dad was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One minute, super charming and gregarious, and just like that, he’d switch into a mean, cruel man who would physically abuse us. It was a difficult childhood. Our lives were meticulously controlled by Dad. We’d have to wake up and do 100 jumping jacks and 100 push-ups. We’d have to get all straight A’s. If we got a “B,” he’d ask with a straight face, “Do you want me to get the shoe or the belt?”
To escape my pain, I’d daydream, flying off to made-up places. Watching movies was a good way to immerse myself in worlds other than mine. In my early teens, when I watched movies like Rocky, Back to the Future, and Braveheart, I knew that I wanted to do nothing else but make films that helped others feel supported and motivated.
It has taken me years, but I have forgiven my dad. He could only show us what he knew to be true while growing up abused, poor, and ultimately working in a sweatshop. There are traces of his upbringing in the film, but mainly, what I took from him was motivated survival.
How and where did you learn film directing? What directing experience did you have before City of Dreams?
I learned film through a long journey from Mumbai to Hong Kong to London to Los Angeles. Before directing City of Dreams, I worked as a film producer on projects with stars like Paul Rudd, Anne Hathaway, Jamie Dornan, and Luke Wilson. My work behind the scenes gave me a solid foundation in storytelling and the ins and outs of the film industry. I even directed a short film called Devil’s Creek, which premiered at the Cannes Short Film Corner giving me a taste of what it’s like to bring a story to life on screen.
[Left] Young Ari Lopez, who plays the lead character of Jesús.
For many years, I’ve been involved in Hollywood as an indie producer, associate producer, co-producer, and executive producer. I worked on films like Two Days with Adam Scott, and 1 Mile to You with Tim Roth and Billy Crudup. I also worked on the documentary, The Nature of Existence. Working on Outlaws and Angels with Luke Wilson and Teri Polo was a tremendous learning opportunity. It prepared me for my first feature City of Dreams, which I not only directed but also wrote.
How did you convince people to believe in your vision and finance the film?
It took me six years to make the film. It was incredibly hard. There was a long list of naysayers. But I just never gave up.
I first moved to Los Angeles in 2002 to start a production company with Christopher Brosnan (actor Pierce Brosnan’s son). It kicked off a long story to write and make this film. In 2010, I left to take care of my ailing mother in London. She died of cancer in 2017, which led me into an emotional tailspin. I did return to LA and went on a rampage to finance and release the movie. Some people said it’s too dark, too intense, and it doesn’t have any stars in it. None of it mattered because I was determined. One of my first producers was my friend, Rufus Parker of P2 Films. [Speaking about why he came on board, Parker says, “When I met Mohit for the first time in June 2018, I loved his pitching idea. He sent a mission statement video that blew my mind. As a director, he was crystal clear, and I was confident he would make a great movie. I made my decision very quickly to produce and invest in City of Dreams.”]
There was a lull for quite some time. Netflix, Amazon, and Paramount all passed on the movie. I didn’t know where to turn for more financing, but answers come when they’re supposed to. I met Academy Award-winning producer Michael Phillips (Taxi Driver, Close Encounters, The Sting) at the yoga studio that both of us practiced in. When he learned about my project, he got interested and decided to invest. That set off a domino effect! Tony
Robbins, the nationally-renowned motivational speaker and The New York Times best-selling author, came on board, which was soon followed by Sean Wolfington (Sound of Freedom), Luis Fonsi, a five-time Grammy Award-winning singer/musician, and Linda Perry, the songwriter. Manish Shah, an Atlanta-based management consulting professional, is a producer for the film, too.
[Top] The director in action on the sets of City of Dreams. (Photos: Vatsa)
The drama features a stellar cast that includes Golden Globe-nominated lead actor of Babylon Diego Calva and Jason Patric of The Lost Boys. Can you elaborate on directing a large-scale Hollywood movie for the first time? How did you get the actors to convey the right emotions?
Believe it or not, it was “sheer magic” when I stepped onto the set for the first time. Without really understanding how, I just instinctively knew when I walked on set where the cameras would go, what angle I wanted to shoot from, and the absolutely necessary close-up shots.
The harder part was making what would normally be a $30m film within a $5m budget. And there were many challenges, like people wanting to quit because they felt like they were working too hard and not getting paid enough. Another big challenge was being a first-time director and earning people’s trust. People want to dismiss you, but your job is to hang tight and remain steadfast.
I found Diego (Calva) and put my trust in him. Especially as this was his first English language feature film, and he, in turn, believed radically in the film’s vision. He subbed one day when the AD (assistant director) didn’t show up.
I got an intense directing lesson from Jason Patric on the set one fine day. He refused to read the script lines for the scene because he said, “Trust me, I’ll give you something unexpected but completely raw.” In the scene, there is an exchange with a subordinate. Patric improvised lines based on the environment surrounding him. The dialogue that emerged was powerful, and it connected emotionally. I learned a valuable lesson to incorporate the environment as an influence on the characters.
How did you and Ari Lopez (who plays the main character, Jesús) get along on set? What drew you to him to play the lead character?
Working with Ari was an amazing experience for both of us. He said it was one of the greatest experiences of his life, which is such a compliment. He credits most of what he learned as an actor to this movie and our time working together. One of the biggest challenges for him was playing Jesús, a mute character, but we found a way to really bring that role to life by focusing on his inner world. I told him that Jesús doesn’t speak to anyone else, just to himself in his mind. From there, we wrote a monologue of Jesús’s inner thoughts that Ari would think through during the scenes.
To help Ari build the character, I gave him specific directions and mental situations to react to during
filming. I also had him take sewing and English lessons to better prepare for the role and communicate smoothly on set. Ari really embraced all the background work we did, and this preparation helped him grow as an actor and nail such a challenging role.
What’s your advice to younger filmmakers?
Instead of trying to copy someone else, try to express yourself with your work as authentically as you can because that is what will get through. Be vulnerable and express your trauma. I volunteer at an acting school every Sunday. I tell the students that if you’re going to be an artist, you’ve got to take all the traumas that you suffered growing up and share them. That’s what makes it authentic and memorable. Every single person’s path is completely different. And I would say, don’t listen to anyone knocking you down. Follow your heart. Follow your path.
Neha Negandhi is a public speaker with TEDx credit under her belt. Using her experience of 10 years, she trains leaders on public speaking with confidence. Neha is a trained journalist and radio show host, mastering the art of storytelling in communication. www.nehanegandhi.com.
Enjoyed reading Khabar magazine? Subscribe to Khabar and get a full digital copy of this Indian-American community magazine.
