Ramesh Kumar teaches a driving course in the new short docu-drama “The Lesson”
After “Hello my friend” and “How are you today?” probably the most frequent question we get walking past shops in nearly any Indian city is “Where are you from?” usually followed by “Vancouver or Toronto?” after we say Canada. While Montreal isn’t necessarily as well recognized here, it’s clear that Canada as a destination for immigration is high on the list. According to Statistics Canada, in 2006 just under one million people surveyed identified themselves as East Indian, making up some three percent of the population and the 13th largest ethnocultural group in the country, just after Polish and nearly double the 14th largest group, Russians.
Most of the time our conversation then veers off onto other topics, but often enough we’re told that they have a relative or friend now living in Canada. Recently at a restaurant in McLeod Ganj, we spoke with the owner’s son who is looking to move to Canada to start his own business. A friend already here had recommended Winnipeg (new immigrants are being encouraged to move to smaller urban areas, i.e. not Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver). The maritimer in Roddy came through, though, and I think by the end of the night he was nearly convinced that Halifax was a better choice…
But beyond the choice of the Prairies or the East Coast, immigrating to Canada - or anywhere - is often a difficult endeavor, not the least being finding gainful employment once you have settled in. Politicians often try to score points as being the immigrant-friendly party, and we read statistics about continuing high unemployment rates both among new immigrants and future generations.
That’s why a new documentary by first-time filmmaker Punam Kumar Gill could prove very interesting. The Lesson is already creating some buzz, having been selected to appear in the short-film category of the Montreal World Film Festival, at the Filmi South Asian Film Festival in Toronto and at both the Edmonton and Calgary International Film Festivals.
The story is that of Gill’s father, Ramesh Kumar, who for the past 23 years has taught over 5,000 new immigrants to drive in Canada. While many newly arrived people already know how to drive, gaining a Canadian driver’s license - and simply adapting to new rules of the road - can be one of the first hurdles in discovering your new surroundings or finding a job.
From the filmmaker’s press release:
The star of the film is Gill’s father, Ramesh Kumar, who helped his Punjabi community in Edmonton by teaching new immigrants how to drive. Since opening the driving school two decades ago, Ramesh has taught over 5000 immigrants how to navigate Canadian roads. The driving license has translated to employment and contribution by those immigrants to Canadian society. The film also explores Ramesh’s personal philosophy on simple living.
Gill’s hope isn’t just to speak to the Canada’s Indo-Canadian community, either, but to also challenge how we see ourselves - and Albertans. Again from the film’s press release:
“The beauty of this story is that it is about an Albertan hero, but instead of riding a horse and sporting a cowboy hat, he is a Punjabi driving instructor with a long white beard. The film will push the limits of what most people think of as Albertan,” says Gill.
You can find more about screening times and locations at: http://www.thelessonfilm.com/