Cannes 2022: List of Indian films to be screened at the Film Festival
New Delhi: The Cannes Film Festival 2022 will feature India as the country of honour during its Marché du Film (Film Market) from May 17 to May 28, 2022. It is noteworthy that the year marks 75th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival as well as the 75th year of Indian independence.
The Cannes Film Market introduced new tradition of honouring an official country this year. The festival will continue the tradition and honour different countries every year. Meanwhile, Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone is a member of the International film jury.
The festival also selected Satyajit Ray’s 1970 film Pratidwandi (The Adversary) for exclusive screening. Following is a list of upcoming Indian films that will be screened at the festival:
- All That Breathes
This Delhi-based Shaunak Sen documentary has won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance International Film Festival 2022. Notably, this was the only Indian film that was selected and screened at Sundance this year. Set against the milieu of Delhi’s air quality and rising social unrest, the brothers devote their lives to protecting birds known as the Black Kite.
- Alpha Beta Gamma
Set amidst the deadly COVID 19 virus that spreads across the globe, the film revolves around the life of a woman, her almost ex-husband, and her to-be husband who are locked down under one roof for 14 days and they realise that it is quite difficult to move on and even tougher to let go. According to director Shankar Srikumar, “Millennials live life on their terms- treats relationships their way. The idea was to make a film that reflects life as is, bringing out the aspects of love, hate, jealousy, greed, selfishness, and selflessness.”
- A Place of One’s Own
Two transgender women, Laila and Roshni, are looking for a house after being evicted from the place they rented. It soon becomes evident that their search for a home is also their ongoing search for a place in this society that wants to neglect them as a voiceless section and devoid them of basic rights. The film is directed and produced by the Ektara Collective.
- Baghjan
Directed by Jaicheng Zxai Dohutia, this Assamese film revolves around fisherman Manab who lives with his wife Bharabi in a small village, Baghjan, which is a fertile oil and gas field. One day during oil extraction a massive blast takes place and the entire village catches fire which has devastating consequences.
- Bailadila
The mining town of Bailadila, is home to 10-year-old Rinku’s elder brother Jiten, a passionate artist caught in a miserable teaching job. Rinku finds himself at the threshold of boyhood after losing his mother, moving in with his brother and experiencing many things for the first time. The film is directed by Shailendra Sahu and produced by Raju Biswas.
- Boomba Ride
Also screened at the 26th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), Biswajeet Bora’s Assamese directorial is set around a government school in rural Assam with a single student, Bora, who attempts to throw light on the pathetic state of government schools in rural India. Boomba Ride is a humorous take on a serious subject that successfully highlights the issue without being another awareness-generating film.
- Dhuin
Directed by Achal Mishra, Dhuin is a 50-minute feature film set in the small town of Darbhanga in Bihar and talks about a struggling theatre actor who wishes to shift to Mumbai to make a name for himself in the movie circuit. Dhuin premiered at the Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival 2022 in the India Gold Section.
- Follower
Directed by Harshad Nalawade, the film tells the story of a radicalised journalist, who believes in exposing the atrocities faced by his community. But as the line between his professional and personal life blurs, an inconvenient truth makes him reflect on a simpler time when he had not yet succumbed to radicalization.
- Godavari
Directed by Nikhil Mahajan, this Marathi feature film is a philosophical exploration of life and death. Godavari takes its name from the river that flows from Nashik to the southern states of India. The film is about a guy who lives right next to the river but hates it for everything that it stands for. The theme of Godavari primarily talks about the idea of tradition and how it is passed through generations.
- Le Musk
Shot in Rome, the 36-minute film by composer AR Rahman features inter-disciplinary expertise coming together from around the globe. Known as a cinematic sensory experience with visual reality sewn into the narrative, the story follows heiress and musician Juliet Merdinian, who, 20 years since she was orphaned, seeks out the men who changed her destiny with one powerful memory—that of their scent. Rahman composed the score and directed from a screenplay by Gurachi Phoenix. The cast includes Nora Arnezeder and Guy Burnet in lead roles, alongside Munirih Grace and Mariam Zohrabyan.
- Nauha
Directed by Pratham Khurana, the 26-minute film tells the relationship between an ailing elderly man and his caregiver. Urbanisation and migration are the themes explored in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
- Rocketry: The Nambi Effect
Directed by Bollywood actor R Madhavan, the film is based on the life of a former scientist and aerospace engineer of the Indian Space Research Organisation, Nambi Narayanan, who was accused of espionage. The film stars Madhavan in the titular role and features Simran Bagga, Rajit Kapur, Ravi Raghavendra, Misha Ghoshal, Gulshan Grover, Karthik Kumar, Dinesh Prabhakar, Shah Rukh Khan, and Suriya.
- Shivamma
Directed by Jai Shankar and produced by Rishab Shetty, Shivamma tells the story of a 40-something poverty-stricken woman, who invests her hard-earned money in a network marketing business, to make some quick money, which puts her daughter’s imminent marriage at stake.
- The Tale of a Santa and His Moth
Shot in and around Kolkata, this Hindi feature film is directed by Aneek Chaudhuri and features Pawan Chopra and Usha Banerjee. According to Chaudhuri, “The father’s role is that of a Santa to his daughter, who asks him for the cake. The moth reference is because moths are a species that die very soon.”
- Tree Full of Parrots
The Malayalam film, directed by Jayaraj, is a poignant take on compassion. Narayanan Cherupazha played the role of a blind man in this film and received the National Award for Best Teacher from the Indian President. He is running a blind school in Kerala. Inspired by 127 Hours and Buried, the film is a journey through the various human expressions of love, hope, despair, consideration, and care.
(Avya Mathur)
