Q&A with Filmmaker Lief Ramsaran, Writer-Director of One or Two
One or Two • Brooklyn Premiere • BFF 2026
In the Brooklyn Premiere of Lief Ramsaran’s comedy One or Two, a recent breakup sends Tobi to the optometrist, where the supposedly simple question of which lens looks better opens onto memory, intimacy, and uncertainty. The film finds dark humor in the gap between the clarity we seek and the answers that refuse to sharpen.
Toronto-based screenwriter and filmmaker Ramsaran approaches sad stories with what she calls a “comedic head tilt.” In this conversation, she reflects on the real eye exam that sparked the film, the creative risk of casting a real optometrist, and making room for personal work alongside television writing.
Tell us about the moment this film began for you.
My projects often start around some kind of lonely or awkward feeling that – with just a bit of a comedic head tilt – I can recognize as funny. “One or Two” began with an eye exam.
I had just spent a whole summer squinting, convinced I needed new glasses. But when I finally went to the optometrist’s, they told me my prescription was unchanged. My walk home that day was phenomenal... just taking in all the ordinary details of the city and thinking, "so, this is as good as it gets… for everyone.”
That experience stuck with me for years as a funny metaphor for self doubt and insecurity.
What scene, character, image, or idea was the key that unlocked the film for you?
This real-life story about my glasses stayed with me for years without a shape – until the idea of a break up came into play. I realized that this eye exam could double as an arena for a relationship falling apart, especially when the patient is someone who struggles to trust her own perspective and own what she actually sees. Suddenly the optometrist's question – "which looks better to you, one or two?" – takes on a double meaning. Plus, the idea of an impatient optometrist turned unwilling therapist felt like something we could all have fun with.
One or Two Trailer
Why did this story feel important for you to tell now?
I work as a staff writer in TV, which is a great job – but it's also one where, especially early on, your role is to serve someone else's vision. Making something entirely personal and indie felt like a crucial thing to do.
My producer Kurt Mungal, also a TV writer, understood that instinctively. He story-edited my script and made it so much better – but also gave me room to get weird, loose, and kind of myopic. Love you, Kurt!
What was the biggest creative challenge or risk you took in making the film?
Definitely the risk was casting a real optometrist, with no acting experience, as our on-screen optometrist. We met Dr. Lunsky while location scouting and he was so uncannily close to the character I'd written that I asked him on the spot to play the role.
It paid off because he was a total natural – though I also owe a lot to our lead and good friend Leah Doz, who is such a skilled actor. She kept assuring me “more is more” when it came to performance notes – and together we rehearsed a lot with Dr. Lunsky ahead of the shoot. She taught me a lot about directing.
Was there a point when you weren’t sure you would finish the film? What kept you going?
I wrote, directed, and edited the film myself – something I'd recommend to no one, since by the time you reach post you've completely lost the ability to see your own work with fresh eyes. The edit took a long time, but I never doubted I'd finish it.
What surprised you most about the film as it evolved from the original idea to the finished work?
The memory sequence – where Tobi's past relationship flashes through the eye exam – went through a lot of iterations. As a writer first, I originally packed this sequence with different interconnected story beats. But the more we edited, the more it stripped down to just a few strong visuals and looks between characters. Our DP Khanh Tudo shot a beautiful full day of memories – and in the end we used maybe 15% of it. It taught me that one clear image can do more work than five clever ones.
What do you hope audiences take away from experiencing the film?
I hope it helps us all look at the more painful or embarrassing parts of our own lives with a bit of that comedic head tilt – with more affection and curiosity.
Tobi spends the whole film convinced there's some correct, sharply-focused version of her feelings, if she could just squint hard enough to see it. But there's nothing more to see. Her circumstances aren’t a problem to be solved, just a funny-ish reality to be experienced.
Is there a particular scene or moment you’re especially excited for audiences to experience at BFF?
Spencer Glassman as Dina – she plays the comic relief and gets one of the best audience reactions every time she bursts through the door. Her timing brings so much dimension to the film, and I love watching a room discover her.
What film, TV show, or other piece of storytelling did you see this year that you absolutely loved?
DTF St. Louis was incredible. It’s all the tragic, mundane moments within a high-stakes murder plot… completely impossible to put a genre label on. Heartfelt, visually beautiful, hilarious. It’s exactly the kind of thing I want to make one day.
What does “Make Time for Your Dreams” mean to you at this point in your creative life?
My new dream is to like filmmaking right NOW — not once I get a certain job, or a project sells, or any of that. There's so much unpredictability and cynicism built into this industry, but nothing is stopping me from driving my friends out of town to shoot a music video on the weekend. So I do that! And that feels genuinely good.
See One or Two at BFF 2026
BROOKLYN PREMIERE
Friday • October 9, 2026 • 10:00 PM
Between Us
Williamsburg Cinemas
When everything seems blurry after a recent breakup, Tobi visits an optometrist, convinced she needs new glasses.
GET TICKETS → https://www.bushwickfilmfestival.com/tickets
The 19th Annual Bushwick Film Festival returns October 7–11, 2026, bringing filmmakers and audiences together for five days of independent film, conversation, and community across Brooklyn.
Lief Ramsaran is a Toronto-based screenwriter and filmmaker, who approaches sad stories with a "comedic head tilt" -- just enough angle to throw life's heaviness off-kilter and give us permission to laugh at our vulnerabilities.
SEE IT AT BFF 2026
One or Two
NEW YORK PREMIERE
Friday, October 9
10:00 PM
Between Us
Williamsburg Cinemas
GET TICKETS
10:00 PM
Between Us
Williamsburg Cinemas
