Having won the Audience Choice Award for her short film I'm Afraid I Am Hitler at the Rhode Island International Film Festival, and currently working on a project about modern-day slavery in the diplomatic world, it's clear that director Ruchika Lalwani is not afraid to tell a story she believes in

Ruchika Lalwani, a New York Film Academy graduate, packed a piece of brilliance in an 18-minute segment and then forgot about it for a year. The 24 year-old director went on to work along the Indo-American film corridor, oblivious to the genius she had created. It was not until she began getting an unexpected response to her film that she decided the world ought to watch I'm Afraid I am Hitler.

Early this month, the film won the Viola M Marshall Audience Choice Award for Best Short (grand prize) at the
prestigious Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF), tipped as an Oscar-boosting film festival.
I'm Afraid I am Hitler is Ruchika's thesis after she completed a one-year diploma course in filmmaking. Set in 1976 in America, it's an enigmatic account of a man who thinks he's Adolf Hitler, and forbids himself from going out into the world.u00a0

Where did the idea of a troubled mind come from?
It's about people dealing with guilt, how a person would feel when he knew he had caused destruction on a wide scale. The thought was exactly how the film turned out to be. It stemmed from the basic idea that you had harmed someone. So what now? The protagonist confines himself to his room and it's a downward spiral then on.u00a0

What is Hitler's appeal? Hitler has gone beyond a name. He is associated with destruction, with someone who is unable to deal with his actions. The epitome of wrongdoing is Hitler.u00a0

From submitting it as your thesis to taking it to RIIFF -- what was the journey like?
The film received a positive response right from the script stage. I had make-up artists and actors agreeing to come on board for free. So from early on we realised that the film was not going to exceed its $12,000 budget.
We shot it around New York in a week. The crew is a professional lot, and a few of the cast and crew (including co-producer Varun Shah) are people I studied with at the New York Film Academy.

The budget did not allow us to replicate Hitler's Germany or 1970s' America to perfection, but since it's about the imagination of the protagonist, we took creative liberty. But were thorough with our research.
Locations like the Roosevelt Hotel where they don't usually allow filmmakers to shoot, became available to us. In some shots you can't even make out that it's New York.

We got lucky with the casting as well. We were looking for an actor who could speak German and English with an American accent. After auditioning 100 actors, we finalised on the first actor who had auditioned -- he is a German-speaking Austrian who works as an actor in New York! Before I had finished the film, I was hired to write a feature film. I realised that I had neglected my thesis film and hadn't marketed it well. I had sent out DVDs to people in the industry for feedback. One of the programming directors at RIIFF saw the film and asked us to screen it at the festival. He later suggested that we enter it in the competition section.

At the festival, we won the Audience Choice Award. We won the Grand Prize Award for Best Short. But since it's an audience choice and not a jury selection, we cannot take it to the Oscars.u00a0

Adien (Bernhard Forcher) has confined himself to his home for over a
year because he guards a secret so horrifying that, if exposed, would
set the entire world against him

The psychological drama follows a lonely man, believing himself to be
the most brutal leader history has ever seen

Where does the film go from here?
So far, the film has lived a life of its own. Now, we are getting back into it in full swing. There are plans to showcase it at other festivals around the world.u00a0

How do you plan on bringing your film to a larger Indian audience?
We have not yet approached the bigger names like MAMI (Mumbai Academy of Moving Images) and IFFI (International Film Festival of India). We have to still find out how we qualify, but it's something we definitely want to do.

With Udaan at Cannes and your short film at RIIFF, is the international film festival scene looking up for Indian directors?
I don't think it's about being Indian. The audience is progressive. What's good about film festivals is that even if you don't have big names or a huge budget, your film will still resonate with the audience if your story is good.u00a0

As an Indian filmmaker, do you feel the need to tell stories about home?
My first film had nothing to do with me being Indian, and it got recognised. It's a universal theme about guilt. Movies with a strong Indian undertone do well at film festivals but the kind of work I'm getting is much more liberating.

I'm working on a project for an LA-based producer about how diplomats are officially allowed to bring help into Washington from their home country. And how because they enjoy diplomatic immunity, the ill-treated domestic help lead a tough life. I have grown up on Indian films and if there is a good story to tell that's set in India, I will do it.u00a0

Does being a female director attract you to stories with a feminist slant?
When I meet people, I know they expect me to approach them with stories about women. I love filmmakers like Mira Nair, and you can call me a feminist. But I don't let my gender mix with my work. My first feature film had four male protagonists. I'm Afraid I Am Hitler, my first short film, also has a male lead. My films have no gender.u00a0

You've worked as a script supervisor on Lucy Liu's Half the Sky -- Meena. What do you think of her style of working?
Some directors are technical, others are visual. Lucy Liu is actor-oriented. Since she has a strong acting foundation, she is sensitive towards her actors.u00a0u00a0

Is Bollywood the next step?
So far, I've worked on international productions but I don't think I'd like to neglect Indian films. Bollywood is now beginning to experiment and I would love to be a part of it.

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