"We highlight the topical issue of revenge porn."
In the realm of thought-provoking independent filmmaking, Maceo A Bhardwaj is an essential voice.
Maceo is a British South Asian person, which includes communities such as Indian, Pakistani, Bengali, and Sri Lankan individuals.
The filmmaker is set to dazzle with his short film, Not My Problem. Maceo is an award-winning director and actor.
He first made an impact with his breakthrough project Ariel (2016), which explored homelessness and transgender romance.
Not My Problem tackles the issue of revenge porn. It marks Maceo’s comeback to his passion and along with himself, the film stars Luke Palmer and Heather Dalton.
In our exclusive interview, Maceo shed some light on Not My Problem and his career.
Can you tell us about Not My Problem? What is it about, and what is the story?
It is a short film. It’s actually my fourth short film after Ariel, which was back in 2016.
At the centre of Not My Problem, we highlight the topical issue of revenge porn.
However, the film is approached from a unique angle, with shades of both drama and thriller, very Black Mirror-esque.
The characters are also both from an LGBT background, hence a different perspective on the issue of revenge porn.
What inspired you to make this short film?
I didn’t want to make another short film or embark on a feature film for the sake of it.
It was important to explore and shed light on an issue which isn’t really spoken about, somewhat overlooked but impacts thousands of people.
What steps can be taken to reduce the stigma of revenge porn, particularly in the Desi community?
Well, regardless of how one wants to twist and turn this topic, it’s not righteous and definitely a horrible position to be in.
I would say the only way to reduce the stigma of revenge porn is to be open-minded, accept the situation and move forward with a positive yet cautious outlook and mindset.
Unfortunately, within the Desi community, revenge porn is a massive taboo, which also contributes to why I wanted to cover this topic as a British Indian filmmaker.
In many cases, an individual is often frowned upon and seen as the main culprit when, in fact, it’s the opposite, and they’re actually the victim.
To reduce stigma would require strength, empathy and emotional support for that person.
Do you think interracial relationships and homosexuality are still frowned upon? If so, what do you think can be done to rectify this attitude?
It really depends on the family or individuals.
When it comes to interracial relationships, my family are open, my niece and nephews are racially mixed.
The topics covered in the film don’t directly relate to me. However, I do advocate for it.
I deliberately wanted to approach revenge porn from an LGBT perspective because when discussing revenge porn, I feel this community isn’t spoken about in the discussion.
In certain communities and households, unfortunately, there’ll always be a certain stigma attached to interracial relationships and homosexuality.
Hopefully, through storytelling and bringing light to these topics, in time, people’s attitudes change.
How was the experience working with others involved in the project?
Absolutely fantastic! The film was shot in a day, and we were a skeleton cast and crew.
Considering I was wearing many hats in this production, such as producing, directing and acting – everyone was all hands on deck, with a great attitude.
What did your first film teach you about filmmaking?
From a technical and logical standpoint, preparation and organisation is imperative.
Like with most films, there’ll always be hiccups and bumps on the day.
You can also be in a situation where there’s an ego or two on set.
That just comes down to how good your interpersonal skills are.
But if I can say one lesson, that’d be to be as organised and prepared as you can possibly be.
What advice would you give youngsters today about the dangers of revenge porn?
This year, there were a couple of headlines in this country where a few young people, unfortunately, took their own lives after being duped into sending pictures of themselves and then blackmailed by scammers online.
My advice would be to think twice before sending any intimate pictures to anyone, especially of an impulse.
It’s understandable for those couples in relationships to do so, which is different.
There has to be a strong level of trust before sending intimate pictures.
Can you tell us anything about your future work?
I’d say watch this space. I certainly want and will explore real-life topics, but I also have a level of entertainment, which is what I’ve tried to achieve with Not My Problem.
It’s also very important for me to showcase diversity and break cultural stereotypes.
What do you hope the audience will take away from Not My Problem?
I’d like my audience to be thoroughly entertained, as well as have the topic of revenge porn as a talking point.
It’s only through dialogue and discussion this can be brought to the forefront and dissected.
Not My Problem promises to be an intriguing and important film.
This drama is a fully self-funded thriller, demonstrating Maceo A Bhardwaj’s dedication to his craft.
Talking about this, Maceo adds: “Covid took away a lot from the creative industry, including myself.
“I focused on full-time work in retail to make a living, but I knew if I was to return to film.”
“I had to create the opportunity for myself in a big way, especially with funding for Indie filmmakers being non-existent.”
The film will be submitted to various film festivals, so look out for it!
As Maceo continues to explore new horizons and break taboos, we wish him all the best.
Watch the trailer of Not My Problem:
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