Lotus
This film is a daughter’s exploration of her father’s early encounter with Zen meditation. Along with universal life lessons, she discovers the unforeseeable effects her father’s past has had on her family’s struggles with illness.
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Nilima started filmmaking her freshmen year at Skidmore College when she wanted to help a local animal shelter to fundraise. Then, she transferred to the University of Vermont (UVM) where she studied Political Science and International Development, teaching herself more documentary filmmaking. There she made short films on ecotourism in Honduras and child labor prevention in India, among others. She volunteered with a number of organizations including the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program, Big Brother Big Sister, and STAND (Darfur-action). Nilima then completed her MFA in Documentary Film and Video at Stanford University, where she expanded the subjects and style of her work. There she made films about pet pigs, foster youth, and an inner-city farming program. During her MFA program, Nilima created a summer camp for Somali Bantu and native Vermont children, where the kids learned filmmaking and gardening. Nilima has recently taught filmmaking to children in India and college students, and worked as a freelance editor. She is currently launching an iPhone app startup whose mission is to help charities fundraise. Nilima loves animals, hiking, playing Ultimate Frisbee and watching comedies (and documentaries).