Film Baazar Announces Its 10 Recommended Films for the 54th IFFI; Details and images inside

The films are in English, Hindi, Bengali, Marwari, Kannada and Maori (New Zealand language) and bring together an eclectic mix of subjects.

54th IFFI: The much-awaited list of films recommended by Film Baazar has been announced. This year’s selection offers a diverse mix of fiction, short docu-films, documentaries, a horror film and even an animated film that tackles themes related to the diaspora both in India and abroad, patriarchy, urban anxiety, extreme poverty, climate crises, nationalism and sports/fitness. The films are in English, Hindi, Bengali, Marwari, Kannada and Maori (New Zealand language) and bring together an eclectic mix of subjects.

The list includes the following films:

Short fiction films

ANU (14 minutes), directed by Pulkit Arora (English/Hindi/Maori): When a recent widow moves from New Zealand to India, she clings to the remains of the partner she lost almost a year ago. But a distant crisis forces her to confront her grief with an ordinary ritual in an extraordinary circumstance: quarantine.

ROTI KOON BANASI or WHO BAKES THE BREAD (25 minutes) Directed by Chandan Singh Shekhawat (Marwari): Set in a rural household in Rajasthan. ‘Who will bake the bread?’ is a film about Santosh. Santosh, husband of Roopa and eldest son of Ranjeet, is a character trapped in the conventional ideas of patriarchy and masculinity. He is constantly reminded of his failures and unworthiness by his father. Contrary to his father’s belief system of keeping women confined to the house, he wants to support his wife Roopa to take her last chance at a civil services exam. The film explores the ideas of hundreds of years of patriarchy and how it spreads from one generation to the next through father-son relationships. The film is a candid portrayal of the daily struggles of women in Rajasthan and the entire society, raising concerns about inequality, wrong ideas about masculinity and the various parts where men and women are both oppressed due to patriarchal practices.

TUESDAY WOMEN (29 minutes), directed by Imaad Shah (English): An idyllic morning. Spaghetti is bubbling on the stove, classical music is playing on the radio and our main character is calmly stirring the pot. The moment is interrupted by the piercing ringing of the telephone. When he finally answers, he hears a soft, husky voice that he doesn’t recognize. She says she only wants ten minutes of his time. Ten minutes to reach an agreement. Come to understanding? he asks. Of our feelings. He wants to put the phone down, but he can’t. He asks and tries to find out who she is, but the mysterious woman hangs up on her and the spaghetti becomes overcooked. This innocent conversation sets in motion a surreal day where all he wants to do is write in his diary, but the phone keeps ringing and mysterious, fascinating women interrupt his domestic routine and provide strangely profound insights into his life. With this film, we hoped to create a world that reflects the beautiful strangeness of writing and apply it to an Indian setting. It is an adaptation of three short stories by Haruki Murakami, interwoven into a day in the life of our protagonist. He has lost his job and is in a pensive mood. Our efforts to play with language and music are an attempt to find a cinematic representation of the pace, tone and storytelling style of this beloved Japanese author. The film, of course, hopes to stand alone, as a take on the subject matter, while being consistently irreverent and placing it in the Indian context.

GIDDH (25 minutes), directed by Manish Saini (Hindi): An old man struggles to make ends meet. He fails to save his speedy death, with only a few rupees in his pocket he could get medicine or food, never both. It is difficult to find work. The old starving man does not look like a capable worker. Things are bleak until he encounters an unlikely means of survival, but it comes at a cost. He has to risk his conscience for a few bites. Calamity strikes and the old man is able to take advantage of it. Helplessness and despair know no distinction between good and evil, but are not subjective between good and evil. An internal struggle ensues and hunger soon collides with guilt. With the food on his plate at stake, what will weigh more heavily: his hunger or his guilt? Food on your plate, clothes on your back, these two are the most basic needs of a human being. However, some unfortunate people struggle day after day to meet all three needs. This story connects the need for clothing and the need for food with the struggle for existence.

Docu shorts

GOPI (14 minutes), directed by Nishanth Gurumurthy (Kannada): Gopi Siddi is a middle-aged storyteller who identifies himself with the Siddi community (African diaspora in South India). Inspired by the oral form of storytelling, Gopi wants to self-publish her stories; However, she must first face her struggle with alienation, social status and environmental disaster.

IRON WOMEN OF MANIPUR (26 minutes), directed by Haoban Paban Kumar (Manipuri/English): This film is a tribute to the sports personalities of this country who have contributed immensely to the development of women in sports. The inspiring stories of these women weightlifting pioneers, Kunjarani Devi (Padmashri Awardee, 2011), Anita Chanu (Dhyanchand Awardee) and Mirabai Chanu (Padmashri Awardee, 2018, and silver medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games), have inspired an entire generation of Indian athletes and the country as a whole.

Document medium length

WHERE MY GRANDMOTHER LIVES (51 minutes) directed by Tasmiah Afrin Mou (Bengali): Filmmaker Mou goes to her beloved Nanu’s house to film her. In her 100-year-old house, Nanu has lived alone since her husband’s death 27 years ago. For Mou, Nanu’s place means a peaceful village memory full of swamps and greenery and the majestic family pond. Generations of local children grew up learning to swim in that pond. Rawnak, another grandson of Nanu, lives next to her house with his family. There is a small pond in Rawnak’s house, but many heirs from Rawnak’s father’s side also want to sell this pond. Rawnak does not want to sell their own family pond with his father’s memory. Ironically, his own business is to buy swamps or ponds, ‘develop’ them as residential plots by filling them with sand and selling them. The “development” is taking place across the country, destroying the water bodies and erasing all the creatures living in them.

LADAKH 470 (38 minutes), directed by Shivam Singh Rajput (Hindi/English): Sufiya Runner from Ajmer, Rajasthan, an ultrarunner with five Guinness world records, prepares for her most ambitious undertaking: a marathon unlike any other before. She plans to run 470 kilometers at an altitude of over 3,000 meters in seven days from the Siachen base camp to the Kargil War Memorial to honor all the Indian Army’s fighting heroes of the Kargil War. As she runs through terrain up to 5,800 meters, Sufiya’s coach, her partner and the Indian Army all work hard to help her achieve her goal. She and her Sufi mentality make this run a meditative experience for herself and she crosses the finish line.

Functions

THE EXILANATION (HORROR) – (82 minutes), directed by Samman Roy (Bengali): The film tells the story of Gouranga, a young man from a village in Bengal who has recently lost his wife. This loss threatens not only the family, which has experienced a series of tragedies over the years, but also Gouranga personally, as he cannot come to terms with the death of his wife. Ultimately, Gouranga embarks on a journey where he is not only able to confront his own demons, but also encounters certain myths based on this rural environment that border on the supernatural. Set in the late 1960s, the film deals with themes of loss, superstition, sexual deviance, the supernatural and the role of women in a society that at the time found itself at a crossroads between the waning age-old traditional belief systems and ushering in postmodern thought and politics.

RETURN OF THE JUNGLE (ANIMATION) – (105 minutes), directed by Vaibhav Kumaresh (Hindi): 9-year-old Mihir and his friends are faced with the daunting task of outsmarting the biggest, baddest bully in school: Rahul Malhotra. To help them complete this impossible journey, they have the coolest grandpa in town: Thatha and his fantastic stories of inspiration from the ancient jungles of India! Together they must build a ruthless dinosaur, play a nerve-wracking game of cricket and travel all the way to Rajasthan to rediscover the power of friendship, compassion and determination. Return of the Jungle is contemporary Indian animation – unlike anything seen before! An inspiring family entertainer – extremely nostalgic, recognizable and local.