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Donkeyhead: History and Healing

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Even when there’s love underneath, there’s still no pain like family pain.

Written and directed by Agam Darshi, Donkeyhead follows Mona (Darshi), a failed writer who lives at home with her ailing Sikh father. Involved with a married man and living from paycheck to paycheck, the emotionally stunted Mona is struggling to put the pieces together. When her father suffers a severe stroke, Mona’s three successful siblings return home to help her manage this difficult time. However, as his health declines, the tensions of the past begin to surface, bringing to light family secrets that threaten the stability of the home.

Set amidst the isolated urban community of Regina, Saskatchewan, Donkeyhead is a heartwarming story of a South Asian family as they attempt to wrestle with the tensions between generations. In many ways, this is a coming-of-age story for people in midlife. Tightly written and fun, the film points out that we never truly grow up yet we are also constantly changing into adulthood. 

For her first feature, writer/director Darshi does an excellent job balancing multiple character arcs, giving each family member their opportunity for growth. Living at home as a writer-in-hiatus, Mona’s journey towards taking responsibility for her own life has been interrupted by the responsibility of caring for her dying father. At the same time, her brothers and sister are having difficulty coming to grips with their own personal issues, ranging from sexuality to divorce. 

Personal and poignant, Donkeyhead identifies the intricacies of the South Asian experience yet the story also feels universal. With love and grace, the film demonstrates the challenges of attempting to honour one’s father while also establishing their own identities. Every sibling believes and wants to respect the wishes of their father but they also struggle to come to terms as to what that looks like in the modern era. Whether it is allowing prayer circles to invade the home or feeding guests who stream in and out of the home, they humble themselves to do what is required to honour their family traditions and culture. 

However, they’re also faced with the tensions of the past. Whether they’re carrying the scars of discipline that bordered on abuse as a child or being afraid to speak about troubles in their marriage, each sibling struggles to live up to the expectations of their parents. No matter what they do, they feel like they are letting their father down. 

As each character grapples with their own personal issues, shame becomes a heavy burden in this home. There is a balance between taking responsibility for our issues of the present while finding healing for the scars of the past and Darshi manages to keep this tension beautifully.

What’s more, these feelings can become even more complex with an ailing parent insofar as we can be left to process them on our own. How do you process your pain when you cannot do so with the person who caused it? Even if there is love underneath it all, hope can seem impossible when we have been hurt by another. 

What does hope look like when all you have been told is that you are missing the mark? 

Funny, sad and poignant, Donkeyhead is a joy from beginning to end. Caught between tradition and modern life, Darshi offers a tale that feels authentic and real. Most importantly though, Donkeyhead reminds us that who we were matters as much as who we are today.

To hear our interview with writer/director, Agam Darshi, click here.

Donkeyhead is available in theatres beginning Friday, March 11th, 2022.

Being Chosen: The Story of God With Morgan Freeman S2E1

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(Photo Credit: National Geographic/David Kraemer)

The success or failure of a television or cable program can be largely attributed to many different factors.  Having a good story is important, as is good videography and relatable characters. A topic that’s intriguing also helps considerably.  But in the end, it all comes down to the number of eyeballs looking at the show each week. In the case of National Geographic Channel’s The Story of God with Morgan Freeman, there were a lot of eyeballs looking at Freeman’s foray into faith-based questions we’ve probably asked at one time or another.  In fact, the show was National Geographic’s most watched of all time. Thankfully, a second season of episodes are one the way—the first airing this evening (9 PM/8 CT).  In it, Freeman (and a few new characters) take a look at the concept of the Chosen One and what that means across faiths.

If you’re not familiar with the show, Freeman takes a topic relating to faith and looks for commonalities within various religions around the world. Christianity is given significant attention, but so are Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu perspectives. It can be quite fascinating, and the first episode of the second season is no exception.

What does it mean to be chosen? Is it exclusive to a specific faith?  Freeman takes a look at a number of different variants of this concept, beginning with a nine year-old named Jalue Dorjee.  He plays soccer like many kids his age, but at age two, his parents were given a paper from the Dalai Lama signifying he’s a reincarnation of an individual who has inhabited folks for five centuries.  In another instance, Freeman travels to London to celebrate the martyrdom of a grandson of the prophet Muhammad. Native Americans are also represented in the form of Chief Arvol Looking Horse, the chosen one of the Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota tribes (see top picture).

(Photo Credit: National Geographic/Seth Nejame)

Even though chosen ones “help the faithful get back on track,” they’re not always living.  In the case of the Sikh culture, their chosen one is a book (see photo above). Some show their devotion in Thailand by piercing themselves with various objects such as metal spears (!) to gain superhuman powers. And sometimes the chosen are more along the lines of missionaries, such as Christian Kenneth Bae, who endured two years of hard labor in North Korea for simply organizing prayer groups.  His journey has brought him to the realization that “Jesus is [his] hope—[he] wants to be a blessing.”

There are a few changes to the program this season.  Gone is the blast of the shofar to start the program; instead, a graphic montage replaces it.  I thought the horn was a great part of the first season and am sad to see it go.  In addition, Freeman is not in every section of the show—at least in the first episode.  Two people—a man and a woman—take his role as they explore aspects of the episode’s theme (I think they’re one-time examples, however).  It adds a different perspective, but I think the focus of the show has been Freeman’s personality shining through the exploration of certain faiths and customs.  In the two sections of note, that seems to have been somewhat lost, although the two individuals do a good job with their questioning.

For me, the biggest takeaway from the episode was along the lines of what it means to be chosen.  In essence, it’s another way to say an individual is called out by God for some special purpose.  Sometimes it happens in a dramatic way, such as Paul’s encounter with God on the road to Damascus (see Acts 9:1-18) or Moses finding a burning bush (see Exodus 3:1-10).  But for many people, it’s not that way.  There’s an inward nudging that God has plans beyond anything a person could ask or even imagine.  To respond in any way other than acceptance is to be in a state of rebellion akin to Jonah (with or without the whale).  From there, it’s a process to become so in tune with God’s plans that one’s plans simply become his. In fact, Jesus made it clear that all that follow after him are to be his ambassadors to the world in their words, thoughts, and actions, seeking to make disciples of all nations (see Matthew 28:18-20).  It’s not easy, but being chosen is a responsibility that must be taken seriously.  The end results can be incredible—if we’re just willing to listen and respond in faith.

Interview with Morgan Freeman, Lori McCready, and James Younger — The Story of God (Season Two)

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(Photo Credit: National Geographic/Savas Georgalis)

Discussions about religion and faith can be popular after all.

The first season of The Story of God with Morgan Freeman set all-time ratings records for the National Geographic Channel.  A new season, starting this Monday at 9 PM/8 CT, brings new subjects to the discussion, including The Chosen One, Heaven and Hell, and Proof of God (we’ll have a review of the first episode on Monday).

ScreenFish recently had the unique opportunity to spend some time talking to the executive producers of the show—Morgan Freeman, Lori McCready, and James Younger.  It was a fascinating discussion that helped to bring the purpose of the show into greater focus while providing a potential vision of the show’s future.

Freeman mentioned that the show’s success has been due more to the concept of discussing faith than the method of presentation. The format provides information in a non-proselytizing manner; it simply asks and explores what people are doing already when it comes to faith. Younger added that the key is explaining what exists and what it means; he’s been heartened by the fantastic ratings so far. McCready was thrilled that the show has shown that females are important and are being recognized for their role in faith.

The filming has been a bit of a challenge, according to Younger and McCready. Making accidental mistakes (actions, filming, or otherwise) in a holy place can lead to getting kicked out. As a result, everyone on the staff has learned to be respectful in their ways and how they interact with the specific faith.  And sometimes, as in the case of the Sikh faith, that respect leads to a mutual respect—and access not granted to other groups.

(Photo Credit: National Geographic/Reza Riazi)

One focus of The Story of God with Morgan Freeman has involved the use of science in areas of religion and faith (both McCready and Younger are scientists), so I asked what role virtual reality would play in the future.  Younger saw the technology as more as a prayer/meditation element, since VR tends to not necessarily be useful for communication—at least for now. McCready seemed thrilled with using VR as a storytelling medium where one’s experience could be replicated for others to see (and interact with). Freeman wasn’t quite as keen on VR, stating he felt it’s a fad that will phase out because “it’s not reality.”

When asked what a future episode of the show might focus on, the three had unique perspectives that have helped to make the show a success. McCready thought a good show would involve a discussion of God’s plan for one’s life. Freeman added that he’d like to see a show about whether males or females came first regarding their creation. Younger brought up the topic of the effect of schisms and how they’ve affected faiths over the centuries. Perhaps we’ll see those in the future.  But for now, we’ll work with the episodes of Season Two.

Because of the new season, many people are going to get an opportunity to take a look at the series for the first time, as Season One is now available on DVD.  There’s definitely stuff to think about, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next episodes offer.

(Thank you to the National Geographic Channel, Revelations Entertainment, and Different Drummer for making the interview possible)