The 16th edition of the IAWRT Asian Women's Film Festival in partnership with the India International Centre (IIC) will be held from March 4, 5, 6 and 7, 2020 at the IIC, New Delhi.
4th March 2020 : Workshop - Conference Room 2 IIC
Session One: We Archive Stories 10 am - 1.00 pm
The first session brings together filmmakers, historians, publishers of feminist literature, archivists to discuss the myriad ways in which women filmmakers document histories, lives, labour and art.
Session Two: We Produce Films 2 pm - 6.30 pm
The second session brings together producers, funding organisations, festival curators, distribution agencies and filmmakers to discuss the many paths and strategies available to women filmmakers to negotiate the process of making and distributing a film.
FILM FESTIVAL : 5th to 7th March
9 am to 9 pm, C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium, IIC
This year we were able to select 52 films from 15 countries from more than 700 entries. These will be screened over three days of the festival. (Film synopsis given below)
Women and Photography: Exhibition March 4 to 7.
Presentations- March 5 and 6
As filmmakers we are interested in the syntax and grammar of seeing and reading photography images produced by women. For this edition of the IAWRT Asian Women's film festival we have mounted a special exhibition of selected works of Özge Calafato, Masrat Zara, Sanna Irshad Mattoo and Roanna Rahman
March 5, 6 and 7 : 10 am to 5 pm
Conference hall 1
Workshop and experience zone by Canon where filmmakers/ students can have hands-on experience of the latest cameras.
Archiving histories By Özge Calafato : 5th March , 4.30pm
Distaff side gaze from the Valley By Masrat Zahra & Sanna Irshad Mattoo : 6th March, 3.30pm
ALL FILM DETAILS
- AKAM (INSIDE)
Directed by Sreedevi K Girijan 
4th March 2020 : Workshop - Conference Room 2 IIC
Session One: We Archive Stories 10 am - 1.00 pm
The first session brings together filmmakers, historians, publishers of feminist literature, archivists to discuss the myriad ways in which women filmmakers document histories, lives, labour and art.
Session Two: We Produce Films 2 pm - 6.30 pm
The second session brings together producers, funding organisations, festival curators, distribution agencies and filmmakers to discuss the many paths and strategies available to women filmmakers to negotiate the process of making and distributing a film.
FILM FESTIVAL : 5th to 7th March
9 am to 9 pm, C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium, IIC
This year we were able to select 52 films from 15 countries from more than 700 entries. These will be screened over three days of the festival. (Film synopsis given below)
Women and Photography: Exhibition March 4 to 7.
As filmmakers we are interested in the syntax and grammar of seeing and reading photography images produced by women. For this edition of the IAWRT Asian Women's film festival we have mounted a special exhibition of selected works of Özge Calafato, Masrat Zara, Sanna Irshad Mattoo and Roanna Rahman
March 5, 6 and 7 : 10 am to 5 pm
Conference hall 1
Workshop and experience zone by Canon where filmmakers/ students can have hands-on experience of the latest cameras.
Archiving histories By Özge Calafato : 5th March , 4.30pm
Distaff side gaze from the Valley By Masrat Zahra & Sanna Irshad Mattoo : 6th March, 3.30pm
ALL FILM DETAILS
Short fiction | 13mins | Malayalam | India | 2018
An old woman relives her past in the present. Memories mingle with dreams that remain unfulfilled. She journeys through the images from her past in her quest for answers.
2. AMINA
Directed by Kivilcim Akay
Non-Fiction | 70 mins | Turkish, French, Wolof | Turkey | 2019
Amina is a 29-year-old Senegalese woman who works as a dress model in a textile company in Istanbul. Leaving her daughter behind, she immigrated to Turkey seven years ago to earn money and to take care of her child’s needs. As an African woman living in Turkey , Amina faces many challenges.
Amina is a 29-year-old Senegalese woman who works as a dress model in a textile company in Istanbul. Leaving her daughter behind, she immigrated to Turkey seven years ago to earn money and to take care of her child’s needs. As an African woman living in Turkey , Amina faces many challenges.
3. AUGUST
Directed by Samira Norouznaseri
Short | 15 mins | Persian | Iran | 2017
Arghavan is excited to see her father on her 9th birthday.
Arghavan is excited to see her father on her 9th birthday.
4. AYANA
Directed by Aidana Topchubaeva
Documentary | 20 mins 44 secs | Kyrgyz/ Kyrgyzstan | 2019
Nine-year-old Ayana is preparing to become a player of the national game of warriors - Kokboru. She dreams of becoming the first girl Kokboru player in the history of this game. Ayana believes her dream will become a reality because of the support of her parents. Her coach ,Tilek Mukaev, is her father, a famous Kokboru player.
Nine-year-old Ayana is preparing to become a player of the national game of warriors - Kokboru. She dreams of becoming the first girl Kokboru player in the history of this game. Ayana believes her dream will become a reality because of the support of her parents. Her coach ,Tilek Mukaev, is her father, a famous Kokboru player.
5. BLACKHEAD
Directed by Laxmi Marikar
Short Fiction | 22 mins 34 secs | Malayalam | India | 2019
Two friends share a close relationship and revel in the time they spend together. A sudden disruption in their lives leads them to the crossroads of love and the overlapping nature of relationships. This in turn forces a shift in the visceral and intense feelings they have for each other.
Two friends share a close relationship and revel in the time they spend together. A sudden disruption in their lives leads them to the crossroads of love and the overlapping nature of relationships. This in turn forces a shift in the visceral and intense feelings they have for each other.
6. BOMBAY ROSE
Directed by Gitanjali Rao
Animation | 98 mins | Hindi | India | 2019
This beguiling and topical animated feature written, designed, and directed by Gitanjali Rao follows multiple characters, each connected by a single red rose, as they navigate life and love in a sprawling Indian metropolis.
This beguiling and topical animated feature written, designed, and directed by Gitanjali Rao follows multiple characters, each connected by a single red rose, as they navigate life and love in a sprawling Indian metropolis.
7. BOXED
Directed by Rasita Kartarahardja
Animation | 1 mins 06 secs | English | China | 2019
Boxed is a short film about an introvert. Through isolation, it leaves itself to wander in its subconscious, dealing with its inner duality and exploring in one's self
Boxed is a short film about an introvert. Through isolation, it leaves itself to wander in its subconscious, dealing with its inner duality and exploring in one's self
8. DEEP DREAM
Directed by Cheng Qiu
Animation | 2 mins 32 secs | Chinese | China | 2018
A short film about anxiety and dreams.
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.
A short film about anxiety and dreams.
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.
9. DEVIL FISH
Directed by Xintong Wang
Animation | 3 mins 40 secs | Chinese(Zhejiang dialect) | China | 2019
Devil Fish is an experimental animation about the mad illusion of a man with paranoia.
In this animation, a patient tells the story of how he ate an octopus. The doctor thinks this is just another one of the many crazy monologues of a psychopath, but after receiving a message, he cannot help connect the message to the story.
Devil Fish is an experimental animation about the mad illusion of a man with paranoia.
In this animation, a patient tells the story of how he ate an octopus. The doctor thinks this is just another one of the many crazy monologues of a psychopath, but after receiving a message, he cannot help connect the message to the story.
10. END OF DREAM
Directed by Mai May Sakarwah
Experimental | 6 mins 43 secs | Chin | Myanmar | 2019
The film is about a girl who stops dreaming and starts dying.
11. GONE
Directed by Samaneh Fazlolah Asadi
Short Animation | 1 mins 40 secs | Persian | Iran | 2019
The last moments of an immigrant's farewell to her homeland and loved ones.
The last moments of an immigrant's farewell to her homeland and loved ones.
12. GRANDAD WAS A ROMANTIC
Directed by Maryam Mohajer
Fiction, Short, Animation | 4 mins 35 secs | Persian | Iran | 2019
My Grandad was a romantic. He once saw a picture of my granny and realised she was the love of his life. One day he decided to go meet her.
My Grandad was a romantic. He once saw a picture of my granny and realised she was the love of his life. One day he decided to go meet her.
13. HOLY RIGHTS
Directed by Farha Khatun
Non Fiction | 50 mins | Urdu | India | 2019
Safia, a devout Muslim woman from Bhopal joins a program for training women as Qazis. It is through the lived experience of Safia Apa and several other women who joined the program that the film comments on the arbitrariness of the instant triple talaq practice.
Safia, a devout Muslim woman from Bhopal joins a program for training women as Qazis. It is through the lived experience of Safia Apa and several other women who joined the program that the film comments on the arbitrariness of the instant triple talaq practice.
14. I HAVE TO FLY
Directed by Ghazaleh Razavi
Documentary | 24 mins 59 secs | Persian | Iran | 2019
This is the story of an eighty year Armenian man who once was a sailor, now lives alone in Tehran and is planning to marry a young girl.
This is the story of an eighty year Armenian man who once was a sailor, now lives alone in Tehran and is planning to marry a young girl.
15. IF SHE BUILD A COUNTRY
Directed by Maheen Mirza and Rinchin
Non-fiction | 65 mins | Hindi | India | 2018
Rural, Adivasi women from the villages of Raigarh, Chhattisgarh talk about their struggles and the challenges they are forced to confront.
Rural, Adivasi women from the villages of Raigarh, Chhattisgarh talk about their struggles and the challenges they are forced to confront.
16. IMPERFECT
Directed by Bilen Sevda Konen
Documentary, Experimental, Short | 17 mins 38 secs | Turkish | Turkey | 2019
Dilara decides to go out at night. Her flatmate criticises Dilara about her clothes triggering self doubts in Dilara. She begins questioning and comparing herself with every woman she comes across and remembers from her past. A surprise ending awaits Dilara who gets back home late at night, exhausted by her shattered self-esteem.
Dilara decides to go out at night. Her flatmate criticises Dilara about her clothes triggering self doubts in Dilara. She begins questioning and comparing herself with every woman she comes across and remembers from her past. A surprise ending awaits Dilara who gets back home late at night, exhausted by her shattered self-esteem.
17. IQ RAH, ONE PATH, MANY JOURNEYS
Directed by Ashique VS, Faisal CS, Nabina Chakraborty, Irshada Ayoub, Roshni Kazmi, Sherin T Koshy
Non-fiction | 28 mins 28 secs | Hindi | Mewati | India | 2019
'Iq rah- one path, many journeys' is a documentary film on the lives of children in Madrassas in Mehrauli, Delhi. It tries to depict the dreams and aspirations of these children.
'Iq rah- one path, many journeys' is a documentary film on the lives of children in Madrassas in Mehrauli, Delhi. It tries to depict the dreams and aspirations of these children.
18. JAADUI JUNGLE
Directed by Archana Chandrashekar/
Non-fiction | 34 mins | English | India | 2019
The film presents the enchanting life in the forest through the eyes of children until the moment when it has to contend with the stark reality of a forest fire.
The film presents the enchanting life in the forest through the eyes of children until the moment when it has to contend with the stark reality of a forest fire.
19. KANDURWAN, BAKING HISTORY
Directed by Mehvish Rather
Documentary | 19 mins 28 secs | Kashmiri | India | 2019
Three women filmmakers narrate the history of a barely remembered baking tradition. The film focuses on the different kinds of traditional Kashmiri bread and the bakers who are trying to keep this tradition alive.
Three women filmmakers narrate the history of a barely remembered baking tradition. The film focuses on the different kinds of traditional Kashmiri bread and the bakers who are trying to keep this tradition alive.
20. KERE MATTU KERE
Directed by Sindhu Thirumalaisamy
Experimental, Non-fiction | 37 mins 18 secs | Hindi, English, Tamil, Bengali | India | 2019
Kere mattu Kere dwells in the peripheries of a polluted lake in Bangalore where the act of observation is interrupted by flying foam, noxious gases, daydreams, and questions from passers-by. The film is an attempt to see the lake as a 'toxic commons’, a polluted place that is nevertheless a place for ‘commoning’.
Kere mattu Kere dwells in the peripheries of a polluted lake in Bangalore where the act of observation is interrupted by flying foam, noxious gases, daydreams, and questions from passers-by. The film is an attempt to see the lake as a 'toxic commons’, a polluted place that is nevertheless a place for ‘commoning’.
21. LESSONS
Directed by Yucong Chen
Short, Student | 20 mins | Mandarin, Taiwanese, English | China | 2019
A Chinese "study mama" considers her daughter Nana as her most prized posession, sometimes imagining both of them in her fantasy world. But after having a fight this morning, she finds Nana is missing.
A Chinese "study mama" considers her daughter Nana as her most prized posession, sometimes imagining both of them in her fantasy world. But after having a fight this morning, she finds Nana is missing.
22. MAA TUKI (Find Me, Mother)
Directed by Suchana Saha
Short Animation | 4 mins 11 secs | English | India | 2018
A 25-year-old takes care of her mother in a hospital. They revel in nostalgic memory until they are forced to confront an undesirable change in their lives. This is a story of how they come to terms with this change.
A 25-year-old takes care of her mother in a hospital. They revel in nostalgic memory until they are forced to confront an undesirable change in their lives. This is a story of how they come to terms with this change.
23. MAKHFI
Directed by Prachee Bajania
Non- fiction | 19 mins 08 secs | Marathi, Persian, English, Gujarati | India | 2018
The film draws thematic parallels with the poetry of Zeb-un-Nissa and positions her work in an environment of loss and forgetting.
The film draws thematic parallels with the poetry of Zeb-un-Nissa and positions her work in an environment of loss and forgetting.
24. MEMOIRS OF SAIRA AND SALIM
Directed by Eshwarya Grover
Non fiction/ 13 mins 40 secs/ Hindi/ India/ 2018
When Saira & Salim visit their old house it unfolds memories and conversations from a place they once called ‘home’.
When Saira & Salim visit their old house it unfolds memories and conversations from a place they once called ‘home’.
25. MIU
Directed by Yael Lotem
Fiction/ 19 mins 16 secs/ English and Cantonese/ Israel/ 2019
These are the final days of Miu, a colourful young man who moved to London from Hong-Kong to become a successful architect. Combining re-enactments and interviews with the few people who knew him, Miu is about the anonymity of being a foreigner in a big city and how easy it is to lose your way.
26. MOD BHANG (The Ebb Tide)
Directed by Renu Savant
Non fiction | 60 mins | Marathi | India/2019
Shot through the monsoon in the creek of Mirya village, this film is a documentation of its fisherfolk. It brings out their working rhythms, dreams and desires, generational legacies of hard labour and their relationships to the sea and the fish as a sacred natural resource.
27. NO MORE THAN THIS
Directed Hai Di Nguyen
Short | 20 mins | English and Vietnamese | Vietnam | 2019
“No More Than This” is a surrealist film about Nam Nguyen, a 57-year-old Vietnamese man who lives alone and works as a museum guard.
Nam has a daughter from a failed marriage whom he seldom sees. He tries to connect with other people but fails. He came to the UK as a refugee and although he has lived here for years he still feels invisible and does not feel he belongs in British society. One day his worst nightmare appears to come true, that in some sense, he no longer exists.
Nam has a daughter from a failed marriage whom he seldom sees. He tries to connect with other people but fails. He came to the UK as a refugee and although he has lived here for years he still feels invisible and does not feel he belongs in British society. One day his worst nightmare appears to come true, that in some sense, he no longer exists.
28. NOOR ISLAM
Directed by Devshree Nath
Documentary | 20 mins 05 secs | Assamese, Bengali | India | 2019
This documentary traces one man’s struggles of losing his identity. The film delves deep into his state of mind; of a person who is on the verge of losing almost everything he has.
Directed by Fatemeh Mohammadi
This documentary traces one man’s struggles of losing his identity. The film delves deep into his state of mind; of a person who is on the verge of losing almost everything he has.
29. OBLIVION
Directed by Fatemeh Mohammadi
Short/ 15 mins/ Persian/ Iran/ 2018
Mehrbanoo’s husband is suffering from Alzheimer’s. She tries everything to make his life worth living and meaningful. But rental issues and the absence of their children and grandchildren take their toll.
Directed by Mahoor Mirshakkak
Mehrbanoo’s husband is suffering from Alzheimer’s. She tries everything to make his life worth living and meaningful. But rental issues and the absence of their children and grandchildren take their toll.
30. PORTRAIT OF MS. F
Directed by Mahoor Mirshakkak
Documentary, Short/ 20 mins/ Persian/ Iran/ 2019
.
Forough Farrokhzad is one of the most influential women in the contemporary history of Iran. Her artistic achievements, as a poet and filmmaker, has had a deep influence on the Iranian art world. Fifty one years after her suspicious death at the age of 32, her radical lifestyle continues to influence many from different strata of Iranian society. Women aged 18 to 48 participated in a video interview and expressed their personal opinion about Forough Farrokhzad's impact on their lives.
Directed by Nishtha Jain, Deepti Gupta
. Forough Farrokhzad is one of the most influential women in the contemporary history of Iran. Her artistic achievements, as a poet and filmmaker, has had a deep influence on the Iranian art world. Fifty one years after her suspicious death at the age of 32, her radical lifestyle continues to influence many from different strata of Iranian society. Women aged 18 to 48 participated in a video interview and expressed their personal opinion about Forough Farrokhzad's impact on their lives.
31. SABOOT
Directed by Nishtha Jain, Deepti Gupta
Fiction/ 21 mins/ Hindi/ India/ 2019
Amandeep will never forget his time as a junior gynaecologist in a government hospital in Delhi. He was conscientious, which rendered him unfit for the system. The ‘women’s ward’ was a microcosm of women's lot in society. If he harboured any ideas about changing the system, he would have to search deeper, perhaps begin with himself.
Amandeep will never forget his time as a junior gynaecologist in a government hospital in Delhi. He was conscientious, which rendered him unfit for the system. The ‘women’s ward’ was a microcosm of women's lot in society. If he harboured any ideas about changing the system, he would have to search deeper, perhaps begin with himself.
32. SH'HAB
Directed by Amal Al-Muftah
Short | 13 mins | Arabic | Doha | 2018
Upon hearing a myth about falling stars, a young girl's curiosity is sparked. When night falls on AlWakrah village, she sets out on her father's boat, with the assistance of her older brother, to chase the fabled comets.
Upon hearing a myth about falling stars, a young girl's curiosity is sparked. When night falls on AlWakrah village, she sets out on her father's boat, with the assistance of her older brother, to chase the fabled comets.
33. SHIPS OUTSIDE MY WINDOW
Directed by Rebana Liz John
Non-Fiction | 27 mins 35 secs | English, Malayalam | India | 2018
The film is an exploration of the filmmaker's father's life as a seafarer in increasingly tough global conditions. Set in Mumbai, the view outside the window, is a voyage into the liminal spaces created by mental illness.
The film is an exploration of the filmmaker's father's life as a seafarer in increasingly tough global conditions. Set in Mumbai, the view outside the window, is a voyage into the liminal spaces created by mental illness.
34. SHUT UP SONA
Directed by Deepti Gupta
Documentary | 85 mins | English, Hindi, Odia | India | 2019
Shut up Sona is a film about today's India at odds with the modern Indian woman. It is an intimate journey with Sona Mohapatra, singer, performer, troublemaker by choice!
Shut up Sona is a film about today's India at odds with the modern Indian woman. It is an intimate journey with Sona Mohapatra, singer, performer, troublemaker by choice!
35. SOMEWHERE NOWHERE
Directed by Reema kaur, Shashank Walia
Short Non-Fiction | 28 mins 48 secs | Hindi/Marathi | India | 2019
An essay film exploring the universe of a city with an observational form. An old man, also a photographer, tells a tale of the city in which he has spent his lifetime, opening up the idea of a colony, a commune and how a city is reborn constantly to accommodate newer narratives.
An essay film exploring the universe of a city with an observational form. An old man, also a photographer, tells a tale of the city in which he has spent his lifetime, opening up the idea of a colony, a commune and how a city is reborn constantly to accommodate newer narratives.
36. STAINS
Directed by Rhea Matthews
Short Fiction | 30 mins | English, Malayalam, Hindi | India | 2018
The film revolves around the story of a couple from different cultural backgrounds who are spending the weekend with the man’s mother on Onam. The wife gets her periods and withdraws from the family. The film looks at the discomfort and prejudice around menstruation.
Directed by Alexandra Karam
The film revolves around the story of a couple from different cultural backgrounds who are spending the weekend with the man’s mother on Onam. The wife gets her periods and withdraws from the family. The film looks at the discomfort and prejudice around menstruation.
37. STAROYE DELO (The old Story will Begin again)
Directed by Alexandra Karam
Short | 15 mins | Arabic and Russian | Lebanon | 2019
Passionate and driven by the love of theater, Alissar and Amal were brought together by a play while coming from different nationalities and backgrounds.
Passionate and driven by the love of theater, Alissar and Amal were brought together by a play while coming from different nationalities and backgrounds.
38. TAIWANESE CHA CHA CHA
Directed by YuHui (Judie) Yang
Short fiction | 15 mins 35 secs | Mandarin, Taiwanese, English | Taiwan | 2019
Two young girls set out for a secret journey against their parents’ will in order to reconnect back with their grandparents. Their encounter encourages each other, turning their journey into a meaningful and unexpected adventure.
Two young girls set out for a secret journey against their parents’ will in order to reconnect back with their grandparents. Their encounter encourages each other, turning their journey into a meaningful and unexpected adventure.
39. THE CAROUSEL
Directed by Shabnam Sukhdev
Non Fiction | 8 mins 30 secs/ English | Canada | 2019
A mother examines her relationship with her daughter and issues of mental health through theatrical role play with diverse women and languages.
40. THE LAST DAY OF MAY
Directed by Yili Han
Short | 6 mins | Chinese | China | 2019
Synopsis- As a middle school Chemistry teacher, Chen Jun never loses sight of her originality. Facing pressure from both school and family, Chen Jun uses the flour-explosion experiment to retaliate.
Synopsis- As a middle school Chemistry teacher, Chen Jun never loses sight of her originality. Facing pressure from both school and family, Chen Jun uses the flour-explosion experiment to retaliate.
41. THE OTHER SIDE
Directed by Cathy LEE Pei Yi
Short | Mandarin, Taiwanese | Taiwan | 29 mins | 2019
Feng-Lou lives with her brother Kun-Jie in a tiny home. Facing the danger of being separated from her, Feng-Lou hides her daughter Ah Xi. One day, Ah Xi saves a black butterfly that flew into the house and Kun-Jie suddenly dies in the attic.
Feng-Lou lives with her brother Kun-Jie in a tiny home. Facing the danger of being separated from her, Feng-Lou hides her daughter Ah Xi. One day, Ah Xi saves a black butterfly that flew into the house and Kun-Jie suddenly dies in the attic.
41. TRANSPARENT, THE WORLD IS
Directed by Yuri Muraoka
Animation, Experimental | 7 mins 18 secs/ Japan/ 2019
This film is a portrait of my daughters and me and depicts the relationship between “the personality” and “the world / the society” as of 2018.
This film is a portrait of my daughters and me and depicts the relationship between “the personality” and “the world / the society” as of 2018.
42. WINGED MIRACLE
Directed by Zahra Mirrza
Feature, Music Video, Short | 7 mins 30 secs | English/ Azerbaijan | 2019
Azerbaijan, 1937. A poet for Panturkish ideological ideas was arrested. His daughter comes to the prison to visit her father. The guard does not allow her to come in with a painting she has made for the father because it symbolises freedom. Repeated attempts at changing the painting fails to get her in until she paints a huge tree.The father looks at it and understands the message of freedom.
Azerbaijan, 1937. A poet for Panturkish ideological ideas was arrested. His daughter comes to the prison to visit her father. The guard does not allow her to come in with a painting she has made for the father because it symbolises freedom. Repeated attempts at changing the painting fails to get her in until she paints a huge tree.The father looks at it and understands the message of freedom.
43. YEH FREEDOM LIFE
Directed by Priya Sen
Documentary | 69 mins 45 secs | Hindi | India | 2019
Yeh Freedom Life / This Freedom Life' tries to keep up with its protagonists, as they manoeuvre erratic and unpredictable love. One of them works at a local beauty parlour, the other runs the family’s small cigarette counter at a crowded intersection. They are surrounded by a cacophonous city; they are both in love with other women.
Her Upside Down Gaze
Yeh Freedom Life / This Freedom Life' tries to keep up with its protagonists, as they manoeuvre erratic and unpredictable love. One of them works at a local beauty parlour, the other runs the family’s small cigarette counter at a crowded intersection. They are surrounded by a cacophonous city; they are both in love with other women.
Her Upside Down Gaze
Curator: Afrah Shafiq
1. AND WHAT IS THE SUMMER SAYING
Directed by Payal Kapadia
Documentary | 23 mins | Marathi, Hindi | India | 2018
Namdeo has learnt to live off the forest from his father. He stares at the treetops, searching for honey. The wind blows and afternoon descends on the small village by the jungle. Women of the village, whisper little secrets of their lost loves. Never seen, and only heard. A strange smoke emits from the ground, like a dream of a time gone by.
Namdeo has learnt to live off the forest from his father. He stares at the treetops, searching for honey. The wind blows and afternoon descends on the small village by the jungle. Women of the village, whisper little secrets of their lost loves. Never seen, and only heard. A strange smoke emits from the ground, like a dream of a time gone by.
2. BIRHA
Directed by Ekta mittal
Documentary | Fiction | 80 mins | Hindi, Punjabi, Chhattisgarhi | India | 2018
Ekta Mittal’s latest film combines documentary and fiction in a continuation of Behind the Tin Sheets—a collaborative project conceived in 2009, which focused on the subconscious of migrant workers to big cities. Here, Ekta turns her attention to the absence of those workers from their own towns and rural villages, in an undefined, ethereal space known as Birha.
Ekta Mittal’s latest film combines documentary and fiction in a continuation of Behind the Tin Sheets—a collaborative project conceived in 2009, which focused on the subconscious of migrant workers to big cities. Here, Ekta turns her attention to the absence of those workers from their own towns and rural villages, in an undefined, ethereal space known as Birha.
3. MEENALAAP
Directed by Suborna Senjutee Tushee
Fiction | 28 mins | Bengali, Hindi, Marathi | Bangladesh | 2018
The 28-minute long film depicts the simple life of a married couple living in Maharashtra, India, and explores how they deal with pregnancy.
The 28-minute long film depicts the simple life of a married couple living in Maharashtra, India, and explores how they deal with pregnancy.
4. THAT CLOUD NEVER LEFT
Directed by Yashaswini Raghunandan
Hybrid between Fiction and Non-Fiction | 65 mins | Bengali | India | 2019
Somewhere, not so far from here, the moon turned red and the village evolved into a mirage of unclear activity. A folktale like narrative emerges from a village of toy-makers and sellers in Bengal who cut-up reels and reels of Bollywood, Tollywood and B-grade films to make a living out of loud sounding rattlers, whistles and whirligigs.
Somewhere, not so far from here, the moon turned red and the village evolved into a mirage of unclear activity. A folktale like narrative emerges from a village of toy-makers and sellers in Bengal who cut-up reels and reels of Bollywood, Tollywood and B-grade films to make a living out of loud sounding rattlers, whistles and whirligigs.
5. THE OUTSIDE IN
Directed by Hansa Thapliyal
Documentary | 25 mins 08 secs | English/ India | 2019
What is art, in our lives? What is home? Can practising art, sharing it, give us a possibility of sharing home in the world?Two dollmakers work in very different ways, with the human form .They choose to work with very simple, sometimes discarded materials. The work gently prises open resistances we have, to empathizing with those facing harsh realities around us. The work playfully loosens up knots of shame and fear.
Country in Focus- UAE
What is art, in our lives? What is home? Can practising art, sharing it, give us a possibility of sharing home in the world?Two dollmakers work in very different ways, with the human form .They choose to work with very simple, sometimes discarded materials. The work gently prises open resistances we have, to empathizing with those facing harsh realities around us. The work playfully loosens up knots of shame and fear.
Country in Focus- UAE
Curators: Subasri Krishnan and Surabhi Sharma
1. MOTHER OF FIRE
Directed by Farah Al Qasimi
Fiction | 42 mins | English | UAE | 2019
Confessional television documentary following an ancient Jinn called Mother of Fire and her ruminations on the history of the UAE. The film explores colonial meddling and contemporary Eurocentric museum display practice.
Confessional television documentary following an ancient Jinn called Mother of Fire and her ruminations on the history of the UAE. The film explores colonial meddling and contemporary Eurocentric museum display practice.
2. HONEY, RAIN AND DUST
Directed by Nujoom Al Ghanem
Fiction | 86 mins | Arabic | UAE | 2016
Aisha, Fatima and Ghareeb are among the best known honey specialists in the northern parts of the UAE. Ghareeb is also considered a beekeeper because he established a sanctuary at the top of the mountains, where he can be in control of the surrounding environment and protect his honeybees. Fatima and Aisha prefer to roam the mountains freely to find the highest natural honey. Involuntarily, the bees have become integral to the lives of Aisha, Fatima and Ghareeb. But, for how long and to what extent can the bees, affected by climate change, keep providing ?
Aisha, Fatima and Ghareeb are among the best known honey specialists in the northern parts of the UAE. Ghareeb is also considered a beekeeper because he established a sanctuary at the top of the mountains, where he can be in control of the surrounding environment and protect his honeybees. Fatima and Aisha prefer to roam the mountains freely to find the highest natural honey. Involuntarily, the bees have become integral to the lives of Aisha, Fatima and Ghareeb. But, for how long and to what extent can the bees, affected by climate change, keep providing ?
3. VICKY, I AND HERSELF
Directed by Sabrina Zhao
Non-Fiction, Artist, Experimental, Documentary film | 24 mins | Chinese | UAE | 2019
Vicky, I and Herself narrates the drifting subjectivities of Southeast Asian female migrants in Abu Dhabi, blurring the line between reality and fantasy.
