York University, Toronto

In 1970 Canada's first university degree program in film was opened. Dad became the Founding Chairman of York University's Department of Film. Dad was able to draw on his visionary capabilities to design a vibrant program with a strong academic base. He spent two years commuting between Bombay, Poona, Toronto, New York and Westport while he started up the program. By that time my two brothers - Alex and Nick were seeing their classmates getting drafted to fight in the Vietnam war. The family moved up to Toronto in November, 1972.

This was the first time in many years that our family actually all lived together for extended periods of time. I think it was a rude awakening for Dad, living with what had become a resentful though still supportive wife and three surly teenagers.

Dad didn't have to stick around too long though. In 1972, the NFB wanted to make a film about Grierson's life. Grierson, whose health was ailing, was reluctant to participate, and only consented on the grounds that Dad would be the chief advisor on the project. Dad accepted and became the consultant as well as the interviewer for the film. From the dozens of interviews that he conducted with Canadian and other world famous film makers, Dad then wrote a book on Grierson: "John Grierson: Film Master".

In 1975, Dad managed to secure a sabbatical from York and was commissioned by Mobil Oil to make a documentary on the "National Living Treasures" of Japan. He spent 10 months in Japan producing the film "Hands", which went on to win the Grand Prize at the World Craft Council Film Festival in New York. It was Dad's most experimental work to date and was technically and artistically superb.

At the same time in Toronto, the kids were flirting with disaster. We were in our raucous teenage years with little supervision and a great taste for independance. In the midst of it all, Mom had emergency gall bladder surgery and nearly died from a resulting infection. She was in the hospital for over six weeks. I don't know if my Dad was ever aware of what was going on with his family at this time, as he was not in regular communication with Mom. When Mom got home from the hospital, she just couldn't take being on her own anymore with all of the family troubles. So she decided to pack up the household and moved to India. Nick and Alex were already in University, so they were deemed fit to take care of themselves. She enrolled me in Woodstock School - a boarding school in North India, in the foothills of the Himalayas. It was my turn to become forever changed by India.