If 2020 was the year in which the Cannes film festival went virtual, 2021 is poised to be the year in which in-person events make a roaring comeback. And Indian filmmakers are already making waves at the French Riviera.
Here are some films and filmmakers from India who you should watch out for
#1 Invisible Demons | Rahul Jain
'Invisible Demons' marks a Cannes debut for documentary filmmaker Rahul Jain. The 70-minute film charts the impact of climate change, global warming and pollution on the lives and health of millions of New Delhi residents. The documentary premieres in the Cinema for the Climate section.
#2 A Night of Knowing Nothing | Payal Kapadia
Mumbai-based filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s first fiction feature, ‘A Night of Knowing Nothing’ will be screened at the Directors’ Fortnight 2021 at Cannes this year. In the film, a university student writes letters to her estranged lover while he is away. Through these letters, we get a glimpse into the drastic changes taking place around her. Payal Kapadia's film merges reality with fiction, dreams, memories, and anxieties, an amorphous narrative unfolds.”
#3 Eka | Suman Sen
Kolkata-born Suman Sen, is the third Indian filmmaker in Cannes this year. His film "Eka" which translates to solo in Bengali, has been selected from La Fabrique Cinema, an Institut Francais-sponsored mentoring programme for young directors. The socio-political drama is set in Kolkata and centres around the spirit of resistance of the common man. Filmmaker Suman Sen says, ‘Eka’, explores the degeneration of the social fabric of India.
The other NFDC projects at this year’s Cannes Film Festival are Prantik Basu’s ‘Dengue’, Anjali Menon’s ‘Rasa’, Nepalese filmmaker Pasang Dawa Sherpa’s ‘Kuhiro Pariko Sahar’, Paromita Dhar’s ‘Last Time on Earth’, Rishi Chandna’s ‘Ghol’ and Subhadra Mahajan’s ‘Second Chance’.