Solo

Atif Siddiqi enjoys taking the starring role in his creation. His film Solo begins with a friendly therapy session focusing on intimacy issues. His self-examination is both whimsical and funny. As a performance and video artist, he revels in sharing his dreams and fantasies in his search for Mr. Right. In someone else's hands, a clumsy attempted pickup at the local laundromat wouldn't be so endearing. Such antics are par for the course for a film about love and finding a partner.

But Siddiqi's light-hearted style of filmmaking is more than it appears. As family history and personal trauma interfere with the fantasies, and as the delicate balancing act of Siddiqi's life seems to unravel before the lens, childhood memories take centre stage.

Melding documentary footage with personal history and performance art, Solo honours the fragility of self-discovery. It sheds new light on the necessity for art and its saving grace. It shows how personal demons must be faced as we learn to trust ourselves and love our partners. Solo celebrates one gay man's creative journey to self-realization--with or without Mr. Perfect.

Solo was produced as part of the Reel Diversity Competition for emerging filmmakers of colour. Reel Diversity is a National Film Board of Canada initiative in partnership with CBC Newsworld.