The Lansing State Journal
Saturday, March 24, 2007

Film festival's offerings have a distinctly international flavor

By Mike Hughes

As people enter the East Lansing Film Festival this weekend, they can expect new experiences.

That includes this one: Hey, when was the last time you saw a movie made in Detroit and Bombay?

There's one at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. "Offshore" filmed for 21 days in Detroit and nine in Mumbai (formerly Bombay).

"Bombay is the film capital of India," said director Diane Cheklich. "You can find more movie people there than in Detroit."

It's the home of the famed Bollywood movies. And for a while, she was borrowing its talent for a comedy about outsourcing.

The result is a truly international creation. It has many actors from Michigan (including Leanor Reizen of Okemos) and from India.

"Hindi is the national language for India," Cheklich said, "but English is also very prevalent."

That's part of a surprising international mode for this year's festival. Today, you'll find:

• Documentaries that go to Ethiopia ("Black Gold") and China ("China Blue").

• Features set in The Netherlands ("Johan") and Brazil ("Man of the Year").

• Lots of Canadian work, much of it droll and clever. That includes "Favourites of The National Film Board of Canada" and "Souvenir of Canada."

• And more. One of the best American shorts ("Chicxulub," see separate story, Page 4D) has a German-born director, a German-born producer and a Mexican title.

A bigger surprise, however, is in Sunday's event. The Great Lakes Film Competition is limited to people from nearby states, but the films still range afar.

"Comic Evangelists," a mockumentary, went to Canada. It follows a pretend improvisational troupe to a real festival in Toronto.

"We just did some filming on the streets," said director Daniel Jones. He didn't bother with permits and such; after all, he was making a feature film for $50.

Two documentaries went in the other direction, to Mexico. "Fuerza" is about immigration; "Los Bandits" follows the popular Michigan musicians back to their family roots.

Then there's "Offshore," which began with international intentions. "The producers were from India," Cheklich said. "They wanted to do a comedy about outsourcing."

This is not always a funny subject in her part of the world, which includes Detroit and Royal Oak. "No one wants to see anyone lose a job ... especially in a state like Michigan," Cheklich said.

Still, this was a chance to add depth. "I wanted to put a face on both sides of the issue."

Reizen's company suddenly decides to move its entire call center to India. The Americans will be out of work - once they train some visitors from India.

That required bringing many of the Indian actors to Detroit. Then Cheklich went to Mumbai.

She juggled bits of comedy and drama, as the Americans worked to sabotage the plan. She also managed to get viewers alternately rooting for either side.

From Mumbai, she got a likable group of actors. "Since the story is about a call center, it was important that they speak English well," Cheklich said.

And from Michigan, she got experienced pros, including Reizen.

"I was looking for someone who could be this almost aristocratic, matriarchal person," Cheklich said. That's Reizen, now an international star.