[I know this is off-topic entirely, but a new South Indian” [1] restaurant opened in my neighborhood recently and all I wanted it to be was a greasy hole-in-the-wall where I could get dosas bigger than my head. The place is more up-scale and Mission hipster and I have a friend who downright dissed [2] on it, but I still haven’t managed to eat there – they’re only open for dinner and then only until 10. I might have to do another post dedicated to my diatribe about the monopoly of North Indian restaurants and the need for the South Indian flavors to take-over. But yes, another time ….]

Anyway, my number one pick for a MUST-SEE South Asian film at the festival has got to be Punching at the Sun [3], directed by Tanuj Chopra. It is about a South Asian kid in Queens who is dealing with his anger and confusion in the aftermath of his older brother’s senseless death and with basic survival in the post-9.11 world. I can honestly say that this is the best South Asian American film I have ever seen – and I’m pretty sure that I’ve seen almost all of them – [well except for Chutney Popcorn [4], which you can get at Blockbuster but just never seemed interesting to me.] Chopra filmed it with mostly non-actors from South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!), a South Asian youth community organization in Queens. It really reminded me of the brilliant Raising Victor Vargas [5] because of the raw community aspect – and all the youngsters in the film nailed it. There is hip hop, heartbreak, magic and a little bit of romance. You can’t go wrong. Anyway, make sure to check it out and if anyone has seen it thus far – I’d love to hear what you think.

Of course, the Third-I Shorts [6] program is always a great show. This year they have some really interesting international picks. Specifically, Lucky [7], which concerns a South African AIDS orphan and his relationship with an older Indian woman and Grinding Machine [8] from India, which is frightening and does amazing things with sound and framing. The short Time and the Hour Run [9] is a great surrealist piece that made me think about how excited I am that South Asian directors and putting some fantastical touches into their films. I can’t wait for the South Asian American David Lynch to burst onto the scene – I might have to quit this writing thing and go be a key grip or something when that happens.

Otherwise, Deepa Mehta’s Water [10] – the third of her elemental trilogy, which was so controversial that the filming was stopped in India – is also playing. This is a great opportunity to beat the crowd and see this film before it gets a wider release next month. In terms of international films from India, I have loved everything I have seen by Bengali auteur Buddhadeb Dasgupta – perhaps the David Lynch of India – so his Memories in the Mist [11] would be a good one to get high and check out. And it is always a blast to see Bollywood in full-Technicolor glory at the Castro. This year’s pick Parineeta [12] has one of the best (meaning most ridiculous) Bollywood finales that I’ve seen lately.