IFFI 53 2022

<p>While grappling with early symptoms of dementia, Shailaja finds herself at the cusp of her past, present, and future. She decides to go on a trip to revisit her childhood before her memories ebb away. She embarks on a confrontational journey that makes her deal with questions related to a traumatic event in her childhood, the mundanity of her marriage, and the complexity of her future as she travels through the coastline of Konkan with her husband and childhood love.</p>

<p>Sanjay, an unemployed graduate is adamant to find a government job. Bipin, his father tries to convince him to take up any job as his retirement is at bay. The family is burdened with loans. Bipin is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Sanjay gets to know about the Government&rsquo;s scheme of compassionate appointment where a family member gets the job of the deceased government employee. A frustrated Sanjay waits for his father&rsquo;s death only to realise his ill mind.</p>

<p>Kusuma is the daughter of a cultured caring father who is a mortician at a hospital. He wants Kusuma to become a doctor but he meets with an accident and passes away. His body will undergo the same procedure in the same mortuary. Kusuma drops out of medical school due to financial crises and opts to become a nurse. She gets her father&rsquo;s government job on compensatory grounds. But life for Kusuma takes a dramatic turn when she is raped.</p>

<p>Mohal Basu, an enthusiastic college student, wants to pursue her PhD research on the writer and socio-political activist Mahananda Bhattacharya. For that, she goes to Mahananda herself despite warnings from everyone and a series of events occur in their lives which changes Mohal&rsquo;s thinking completely. The film is based on the life and works of the eminent writer and socio-political activist Mahasweta Devi.</p>

<p>The film is about faith in the fundamental goodness of mother nature and humanity. The lotus of the conscience blooms only when it is connected with mother nature and with one&rsquo;s inner nature, the soul. The protagonist (Saraswati) is a symbol of mother nature, who is vast, filled with love, has indomitable power to accept, is full of the spirit of giving and therefore, even the insensitive and indulgent acts of society cannot destroy the tenderness and simplicity she has.</p>

<p>Rajakannu and Sengeni are a couple from the oppressed Irula tribe who labour in the fields of upper caste men to control rat infestation and catch venomous snakes. Rajakannu is called to a rich man&rsquo;s dwelling to catch a snake. The next day, a case of burglary is reported against him. The police brutally beat and unlawfully detain the pregnant Sengeni. Later they imprison Rajakannu. Sengini turns to human-rights lawyer Chandru, who makes shocking discoveries to help them get justice.</p>

<p>Kathir and his pet goat Karupu, live with his grandfather Chellaiya and his grandmother in a remote village in Kambur in Tamil Nadu, India. Chellaiya, Kathir and the butcher Villaichami&rsquo;s dreams are entwined with the fate of the goat Karupu. All three are forced to take hard decisions in order to fulfil their dreams by the dawn of the festival of Diwali. Will their dreams come true? What will be the fate of the pet goat Karupu?</p>

<p>A scandalous video triggers a crisis for a couple working in a factory, unleashing unexpected conflicts in their personal and professional lives.</p>

<p>A struggling rickshaw driver&#39;s life takes a rollicking turn when he comes upon an expensive camera and decides to make a film with his fellow villagers.</p>

<p>The story of a naive tribal girl who rises from the ashes to proclaim the solitary right she has, on her body and the decisions upon it. Mythologically, Dhabari Quruvi is a sparrow from a folklore tale whose father remains un-known. The plot revolves around the background of tribal rituals and culture. The film is completely made in Irula language and is also the first feature film in the world of cinema starring only tribals.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Just like our profession, our life is also an art, and there is no format for any art,&rdquo; says Chandu Pansare, a forty-five year old ace photojournalist to a newly joined twenty-three year old junior photojournalist, Siddharth Deshmukh. Both work for a newspaper in Pune, Maharashtra. Bringing Chandu&rsquo;s quote to life, what follows is the chain of uncertain events in their personal and professional lives and how an earthquake in southern Maharashtra changes the course of their lives.</p>

<p>Yaanam portrays India&rsquo;s dream project &lsquo;Mangalyaan&rsquo; (Mars Orbiter Mission) as the first Science-Sanskrit film in the history of world cinema. It shows the capabilities and expertise of the Indian Space Research Organization, the stellar performances of the talented space scientists and the importance of Sanskrit language, revealing how India overcame an arduous interplanetary journey for a monumental victory in the first attempt itself. It is based on the autobiographical book &lsquo;My Odyssey&rsquo; by former ISRO Chairman, Padmabhushan Dr. Radhakrishnan.</p>

<p>Narayanan, returns from the Gulf to his home in Kasargod, Kerala, having lost his job during the Covid pandemic like many others. He tries to pledge his family property for a bank loan to sustain. His plan is toppled when his mother, the owner of the property is diagnosed with a medical condition of dementia and mild schizophrenia. The film is a realistic account of how the illness of a family member affects their bond and love.</p>

<p>Rekha lives on the roadside. Suffering from a fungal skin infection, the doctor recommends her to take a bath and apply medicine. But her husband stops her and ill-treats her.</p>

<p>From the Pamirs in Central Asia to the Karakoram and Himalayas of South Asia &ndash; the roof of the world, Earth&rsquo;s largest repository of ice outside the poles, is melting. Increasingly frequent mountain disasters have put billions of lives at risk. Endangered wild species like the Snow Leopard are suffering and so are the 1.65 billion people dependent on these mountains and some of Asia&rsquo;s mightiest rivers originating here. In the villages of the upper Indian Himalayas, life revolves around basic survival in an uninhabitable environment. The snow that makes half the year unlivable is also the lifeblood of the agrarian populations that depend on it for the only harvest of the year. Today, low snowfall and receding glaciers threaten livelihoods in this region, forcing them to become climate refugees.</p> <p>&lsquo;No Water, No Village&rsquo; traces the water challenges faced by the agricultural villages of Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, and Zanskar, Ladakh. The film also highlights how scientists and activists work for local solutions when governments fail to protect their culture and interests. It is an ode to life in the frozen deserts and the resilience of the communities that rely on glaciers and snow to survive.</p>