SYNOPSIS
Butterscotch is a story about acceptance. DR. MAYA SHARMA, a single mother and physician by profession, has her daughter, DIA SHARMA’s, life planned out for her. Dia is supposed to go to medical school and become a doctor, like her mother. One day, Maya is surprised to see an acceptance letter from an art school in the mail addressed to Dia. When she confronts Dia about this, they have a huge argument, where Dia finally lets out her frustrations with her mother’s controlling ways. After the argument, Maya reflects on her daughter’s words, and realizes that perhaps she had been too controlling due to her own insecurities and past experiences. As to not push her daughter further away, Maya decides to let her daughter pursue what she wants in life. Maya apologizes to Dia, and they reconcile. To celebrate, they partake in their usual tradition of movie night while they share a pint of butterscotch ice cream.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
Butterscotch is a story about family, communication, and acceptance. The story is told through a South Asian American lens, via a first-generation immigrant family. However, the tale of a stubborn single mother’s traditional ideals being challenged by her teenage daughter’s artistic career choice, is one that resonates across boundaries. Most folks in the creative field have faced some resistance about their desired path within their families. A lot of the times this clash ends in upset and tragedy. I wrote this story to showcase the fact that much of this upset is due to lack of communication by both sides. A parent’s controlling nature and a child’s rebellious behavior can be traced back to this lack of communication. The goal of this film is to counter that and normalize the idea that even when you don’t agree on an issue, you must talk with each other. The film is an intimate portrayal of a mother daughter relationship, as such it sticks to warm, homely tones and the shot choice keeps us up close and personal with the characters. I felt it was necessary to not stray away from the world of the characters, which is their home. The production seemed relatively easy on paper, just a couple characters all in one location. However, shooting in close quarters within one 12-hour day was a challenge indeed. A challenge met with grace by the extremely talented crew of Butterscotch. Only then were we able to pull off 40 shots and 7 different lighting and production design setups in one 12-hour day. I hope this film and its core message can get through to those who watch. It is essential that we don’t let our egos and stubbornness get in the way of our dearest relationships. Talk the issues out and attempt to understand where each party is coming from, and what better way to do so, then while sharing some Butterscotch Ice Cream!