DRAMA, COMEDY / 19 MINS

DINNER FOR
LONERS

Scared about his friends moving on without him, a newly single man recruits his dysfunctional Indian family to throw a reunion dinner in a desperate attempt to reconnect.

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

I was inspired to write this film after attending a close friend's supper club. On the surface, it felt like a flawless dinner party that a happy family cooked together. But when I questioned him more about the evening, I uncovered some existential struggles that had catapulted the event.

I found out that my friend was hosting the supper club to find a sense of community that was missing from his life after he had broken up from a 6- year relationship. He had desperately tried to reconnect and found it hard for his friends to give him the time of day even for a coffee. What he was really looking for was love and belonging and this really resonated with me, as I had felt exactly the same way in my late twenties after a break-up and unable to have anyone to speak to about it with. I made Dinner for Loners because I was struck by how much effort someone I know went through just to feel some connection.

With this film, I wanted to build a sense of loneliness and isolation even though the protagonist is surrounded and smothered by people. The realistically shot cinematography lends to the chaos in the film, juxtaposed with quiet moments with Dev where we can observe his desperation.

Ultimately, all of Dev’s efforts make him fall flat on his face. He won’t escape his loneliness until he realises he needs to accept it and make time to understand himself. Only then, can he truly have meaningful connections and rebuild his world.