2nd Folklore Film Festival, Chennai

2nd Folklore Film Festival, Chennai

Organised by DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum 

Curated by Amudhan RP

31 October; 10 am to 5 pm 

Schedule (yet to get the approval from the filmmakers)

The Well

Dir: Balaji Maheshwar; 1:02:07 min; Documentary; India

In a remote tribal village, a community unearths an age-old well, reviving not just their water source but their deep-rooted cultural and spiritual ties to nature. Bhaavi is an observational portrait of resilience, indigenous knowledge, and the fragile balance between humanity and ecology.

Cinema Pe Cinema

Dir: Vani Subramanian; 01:02:39 min; Documentary; India

Synopsis: An act of resistance against forgetting single screen cinema theatres as they shutter down across India. An effort to keep the memories of some films alive through traces of their audio and visual ephemera. A shared cinematic space in which diverse audiences speak of complex single screen theatre-going experiences.

Ginger Biscuit 

Dir: Sudha Padmaja Francis; 01:02:47 min; Documentary; India 

Synopsis: A film that explores the culture of baking ain small towns and villages in North Kerala and its Bahujan roots.The film indexes the bakery labourer’s memory as source of history, intermingling it with the filmmaker’s own personal memories of bakeries, family, love and food.

2 pm 

Ricard Dance

Dir : Shihab Ongallur; 55 min; Doc; India

“Ricard Dance,” is a fading art form of South India. These artists, once as popular as movie stars, now find themselves facing the reality that they may soon be taking down the stage forever. This is the story of kochu, kamaru, santhosh, and so many other unknown performers who roamed across Kerala, entertaining people and living out thousands of characters on stage, for decades.

Slaves of the Empire

Dir : Rajesh James; 50 min; Tamil, Malayalam; Documentary; India 

'Slaves of the Empire’ uncovers a forgotten chapter of Fort Kochi’s history. The film crafts an intimate portrait of the Dhobi Khana community, capturing the daily life of its members and the richness of its cultural and social fabric. Embracing the aesthetics of a bygone era, Slaves of the Empire is shot in monochrome and presented in the classic 4:3 aspect ratio.

Karma Gaabo Re.

Dir: Shubham Neware; 47:00 min; Documentary; India

Spread across Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh, the Baiga Tribe has seen its population decline over time. Displaced from their ancestral lands in the 1960s, they have struggled to preserve their traditions in a rapidly evolving world. Yet, deep in the villages of Lagma and Bandhatola, Madhya Pradesh. The echoes of their past still live on, woven into their songs, dances, and unwavering bond with nature.

We welcome you! Entry free!