CHENNAI, March 15 — Standing outside the screening venue at 5:45 PM, Rufus Parker, producer of Starve (2014) and Under the Silver Lake (2018) among others, discussed his recent film City of Dreams (2023) in a short impromptu conversation. The Hollywood production, which tackles child trafficking, was released in the US last August but is just now making its way to Chennai audiences.
Rufus, who originally hails from Madurai district, emphasized that child trafficking is a worldwide issue. “Even though it’s happening in America, it’s a problem everywhere,” he said. “What kind of clothes we buy, what kind of food we buy – that’s how we can protect against these things happening.”
Rufus was also accompanied by Mithran Maharajan, a fellow filmmaker from Canada who plans to make a Tamil movie. He pointed to perception gaps between Indian and Hollywood cinema. “We see Tamil film like this and Hollywood film like that,” he gestured. “It has no reason to be seen like that. Anybody who has a good sense can go anywhere and make an amazing film.”
Rufus noted that the film was made for under $3 million – equivalent to roughly 24 crores Indian rupees. “You can make a quality movie with less budget. It’s all about how you make it work,” he explained. “Inside the house, it’s all 40-watt bulbs. When they gave me equipment lists, I said deny, deny, deny. You go figure it out.”
As a filmmaker who studied in a government school in India before making his way to Hollywood, Rufus hopes his journey inspires others. “I want to show everybody that with strong willpower, you can do anything you want. I want to be an example to motivate people like me.”
Though Lionsgate has picked up worldwide distribution for City of Dreams, releasing it in approximately 1,000 US theaters, the India release date remains unconfirmed. The film has already received praise from Hollywood actors including Sylvester Stallone and Mel Gibson.
While Rufus isn’t planning to work in India immediately, he mentioned interest in potentially collaborating with Indian actors in future Hollywood projects. He’s currently developing his fourth film, with Mithran slated to direct one of his upcoming productions.
The conversation concluded with Rufus reaffirming his hands-on approach to filmmaking: “I’m involved from A to Z—creative inputs, financing, talent, distribution. I enjoy the comprehensive process.”