When it comes to filmmaking, Canada’s Divya D’Souza knows there are so many elements that cannot be controlled and keeping a level head is the most important thing she can do as a producer. As the leader on any given project, she leads by example, with empathy and determination. No matter the project or genre, she maintains this mindset, and it has led her to being a leader in her industry, working with A-list celebrities like Adam Sandler and Kevin James on Pixels, Kate Burton on Star Names Only, and Colin Farrel, Kate Beckinsale, and Jessica Biel on Total Recall.
D’Souza has also seen great success with her own company, Matchbox Productions, of which she is Founder & CEO. She created the concert film A Picture of Ray Robinson under her brand, as well as Miskate.
Miskate tells the story of Abe, a little boy who is determined to fulfill his dream of figure skating. From trading kisses with his friend, Michelle, to learning jumps to preparing a PowerPoint presentation to get his father to agree to let him sign up for an after-school activity, Abe will do all he can to learn to skate. That is until his father realizes he wants to figure skate and not play hockey. He refuses to sign the form and crushes Abe’s dream in one fell swoop, or does he?
“This film shows a child being different and that is ok. A family who at first maybe doesn’t understand and gets defensive, but then opens up to something different. I feel like the story is important to shed light on, especially at that time, to the innocence of a child and ambition and determination even if it is something different than the norm,” said D’Souza.
D’Souza immediately fell in love with Miskate, and she knew she had to bring it to life as both a producer and director. To do so, she found all the crew members from different big budget projects she had been working on, encouraging them to take part in this passion project. She was responsible for all of the creative decisions from locations to costumes, casting, and art direction.
“I really looked into the details. For example, I made sure we had a tweed couch that reminded me of the ones you would find in 90’s Canadian suburb basements. I really wanted to make sure I got across the sentiment and the setting to the audience though I had a short time to tell the story,” she described.
Without D’Souza, Miskate would never have made it to the screen, and audiences would never have been privy to such a stunning story. When it premiered on BravoChannel in 2012, she knew all the hard work paid off.
“I loved how it turned out and that every piece of the project I had a handle on. I loved having that ultimate control creatively. Because I played such a large part in bringing the film to life, it felt great to have such positive feedback in people wanting to see more of Abe and where he went from there,” she said.
Miskate is heartwarming and captivating, be sure to give it a watch if you have not already.