The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival has given SLO Review the opportunity to preview some of the narrative and documentary films on the festival’s April 24-29, 2025 program schedule. Follow the links to purchase tickets to see these notable films for yourself.
A Life Well Lived
Paper Flowers, starring Kapil Talwalkar and Olivia Liang, is at its heart the story of a life well lived and with a sense of purpose.
Directed by Mahesh Pailoor from a screenplay by Mary Kresll-Oishi (based on a true story), the narrative film shares the life of a young Indian-American man, Shalin Shah, who struggles with his first adult decisions in his professional life—and even in his love life—until a cancer diagnosis disrupts all plans.
The cancer puts not only Shalin (Talwalkar), but everyone around him through a grueling and emotional experience of defining love and the purpose of life.
When the people around you have good intentions, are you obligated to fulfill their wishes for you?”
Shalin faces two big life challenges at the film’s start: he’s going into the Peace Corps instead of the medical school that his parents would prefer, and the love of his life, Fiona (Liang), is of Chinese descent when his parents would prefer that he marry an Indian girl.
His parents believe that “tradition matters,” and his father in particular builds a hard wall against his son’s choices that don’t fall in line. The questions here seem to be: When the people around you have good intentions, are you obligated to fulfill their wishes for you? Do you have the right to a different future for yourself?
Pailoor does an expert job in exploring these questions while treating every perspective with integrity. The editing from one person to the other is so well done, it creates striking separations between each experience, while keeping a strong connection to the overall story.
It is immediately clear that Shalin is introspective, with a philosopher’s view of life and culture. He collects quotes like “A life not bent on achieving a goal is a life poorly spent.” But the immortality to which youth often feels entitled evaporates, and with it, Shalin’s perspective changes as does his belief in the central importance of goals.
You likely will shed some tears, but as you walk out of the theatre you also will be seeing the world around you as if for the first time.”
Though Shalin is the one diagnosed with cancer, the director’s choice to shed light on each character’s impact from the diagnosis is heart-wrenching. The study of each person’s emotions, so alike yet so individual, leaves our hearts feeling for every person in this film. There is no bad guy here.
Each character is on a divergent path from the others even as they share their common tragedy, varying degrees of hope, and grief.
Paper Flowers is named for the art Shalin creates, and for a question about whether to use real or paper flowers at an event. To quote an Alicia Keys song, “Paper flowers never die, but neither do they live.”
As an audience member, you likely will shed some tears, but as you walk out of the theatre you also will be seeing the world around you as if for the first time. Maybe drive to the coast and watch the sunset on your way home.
Editor’s Note: Screenings of Paper Flowers (USA, run time 101 minutes, rated PG-13, in English) at the SLO International Film Festival are sponsored by Dr. Brian and Jeri Roberts. The Shalin Happiness Foundation was established by Shalin’s family in honor of his incredible life and legacy.