Back Home.

Got off the plane to a cold, frozen Chicago late last night, but it’s wonderful to be home. India was a whirlwind, as we went to six different cities in 18 days. It’ll be nice to be stationed in one place for the near future.

Lilith premiered at the Festivus Film Festival, and from the initial reports it was a success, despite an attendance hit due to the Broncos playoff game. I’ve gotten a few emails from audience members and it seems the audience really embraced the film. I’ll get more details in the coming days, but Julia and Nancy both said it was an amazing time.

As for my short film in India, we didn’t get it finished. I shot a bunch of footage, but due to rains and time crunch, I wasn’t able to get it done. I however have a ton of beautiful images (including towering bonfires, bottle-nosed dolphins, and mass religious pilgrimages) that will no doubt make its way into another project. The film, which is titled A Brief History of Love, might also make another incarnation here in Chicago. It’s developing organically and we’ll see where it goes.

It was really wonderful to get away from writing and I’ve been fully inspired by the things I’ve seen and the people I’ve met. I’ve been dying to get back to work. Travel definitely enriches the mind, and I was scribbling down ideas, dialogues, and stories throughout my trip. I explored nooks and crannies of Mumbai, Chennai and rural India. I met scholarly beggars and illiterate billionaires. I saw relics of the past and the latest in cutting edge nanotechnology. I saw a snake and a monkey share an apple. I stepped in the crystal blue Arabian Sea and had sharks and stingrays graze my toes. I saw old friends and made new ones. I saw the entirety of HBO’s Mildred Pierce and fell in love with epic television again. I learned new things about my history, my family, and myself. I learned, and learned, and learned.

I haven’t been this excited in a long, long time. In India I saw hope, I saw enterprise, and I saw the future. And it looks glorious, so long as we are willing to work and be an active part of it. Despite sleepiness, jetlag and the climate change, I’m heading back to my office right now because I want to work. I want to work harder than I’ve ever worked before.

Thank you for your patience during the blog’s hiatus - many new topics and updates lay ahead!