11th CIDSFF 23
20-28 Feb / multiple venues, Chennai
Screening Schedule (subject to changes)
Evening Shows
20 February; 5.30 pm
Periyar Thidal
Undocumented
Dir :Sampsa Huttunen, Ann-Mari Leinonen; 50 min; Finland; Documentary
In Finland, invisible to the majority, live undocumented people, whose daily lives are filled with hopelessness, uncertainty and fear of what lies ahead. How to build a life in a country, where you don't officially even exist?
Artworld of Athimoolam
Dir: Mayan; 01:15:47; India; Documentary
The documentary film 'Artworld of Adimoolam' traces the Life & Works of K.M. Adimoolam (1938-2008). A Legendary Master Artist from College of Fine Arts, Chennai during the times of The Madras Art Movement of the 1960s, 70s & 80s. With the Narratives of his Family, Contemporary Artists & Writers the Film documents his evolution as an artist over 4 decades of Masterpiece Works.
21 February; 5.30 pm
Periyar Thidal
Freedom Squared
Dir: Anastasia Zverkova; 01:05:55; Russian Federation; Documentary
The plot is centered around two scientific experiments that simulate a long-distance space flight. Physiologist Nikolai Osetsky goes to Antarctica to study human vision in conditions closely resembling those of the Moon. Meanwhile, a group of testers from Russia and the United States are locked in a replica of a spaceship to test the effects of isolation on themselves. Both experiments led participants into a state of severe loneliness. It raises the question: is a human being ready for a long-distance spaceflight not only physically, but also spiritually?
Pandit Rajeev Taranath
Dir : Amshan Kumar; 40 min
The documentary is a tribute to the musical genius of saord player Pandit Rajeev Taranath. He is a disciple of the illustrious sarod player Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and hailed as the chief exponent of Maihar Senia Allauddin gharana that traces its origin to Saraswathi, daughter of Tansen.
As a child prodigy he sang in public and on AIR. Rajeevj Taranath who got a doctorate in English Literature gave up his teaching career and devoted himself to full time music. In his long music career he has given innumerable concerts all over the world and taught music at California Institute of the Performing Arts, Los Angeles. He has also composed music to offbeat films including Samskara, Kanchana Sita, Pokku Veyil and Kadavu.
The Last Seed
Dir: Andrea Gema; 01:17:3
0; South Africa; Documentary
The Last Seed focuses on broad themes relating to the state of food and agriculture in Africa in the 21st century. Placing the struggle over the control of seed at the centre, it explains the processes that have led to this moment in human history and what it would take to interact with the planet in a way that does not threaten the very basis of life on earth.
22 February; 5.30 pm
Periyar Thidal
The Bird, The Priest and The Sixteen Millet Thieves
Dir: Milind Chhabra; 57:40; India; Documentary
Rala (Foxtail millet) is integral in the lives of the natives of central India, evident by its presence in their rituals, myths, legends and ballads; it’s fascinating that these stories even hint at the disappearance of Rala from the farm fields, diet and the people’s psyche. Oscillating between the ballads and the present times, The Bird, the Priest and The Sixteen Millet Thieves tells the story of grains and farm fields, rains and pests, market and diet, following the life cycle of Rala and the dwindling cultivation practice of this indigenous crop.
Maka
Dir: Elia Moutamid; 51:56; Italy; Documentary
Maka presents Geneviéve Makaping’s life in Italy and perilous migration journey. By sharing Makaping’s experience as the first Black news editor in Italy, Maka speaks out against the media representation of immigrants and offers an evocative examination of the intersection between sexism and racism in Italy. From Moroccan-born Italian director Elia Moutamid, this riveting documentary offers a poignant exploration of displacement, identity, and belonging.
a.k.a.
Dir: Geetika Narang Abbasi; 01:33:21; India; Documentary
To look like a film star is one thing, to be a lookalike of one is quite another. The latter comes with a stamp of ‘urf’ or ‘also known as’ for life.
The film delves into the lives of Kishore Bhanushali, Firoz Khan and Prashant Walde, lookalikes of superstars Dev Anand, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, respectively. Their collective narrative unravels the world of a lookalike, who tends to gain a relatively easy entry into Bollywood but only at the cost of one’s own identity.
23 February; 5.30 pm
Periyar Thidal
Sex Relish (A solo orgasm)
Dir: Ananda Safo; 11:50; France; Documentary
In this endless pandemic area, where our sexuality has sometimes had to evolve, has been tested, women from different backgrounds offer their intimate testimonies, addressing their desires and pleasures in solitude.
Cheepatakadumpa
Dir: Devashish Makhija; 20:00; India; Short film
‘CHEEPATAKADUMPA’ follows three women over less than a day as they awaken their naughty teenage alter egos when they meet again after years, unleashing mischief on each other, and in turn on the biased patriarchal belief systems of the India they were born into. In a masculine culture that is unduly serious about making the rules that women are expected to live by, can Teja, Santo and Tamanna find true and happy rebellion in the gasping throes of this mischief?
HOW DO I SHOW THE OCEAN SPACE YOU CARRIED INSIDE YOU?
Dir : Abeer Khan; 42 min; India; Documentary
HOW DO I SHOW THE OCEAN SPACE YOU CARRIED INSIDE YOU? is a film driven by love, and wonder. It is about two individuals, artists, living, working and growing, together and separately. Through the works of the male protagonist, the film brings to us his sharp commentary on the ethos of his times: growing consumerism and pollution; state violence and repression; and the yearning for freedom, both artistic and personal. Memories and objects come together to situate these events in the city of Bombay, very different from the Mumbai of today.
Clowning with Shakespeare
Dir : Siddhartha More; 59.04 min; India; Documentary
Rajat Kapoor, an Indian filmmaker & actor collaborates with fellow actors from Bollywood to put up a theater play that turns Shakespearean stories into a modern tale with an unconventional twist. Rajat’s clowning act of interpreting Shakespearean classics makes for an unbelievably appealing storytelling. The creative exploration of Rajat and his team is discomforting, entertaining, and addictive at the same time.
The Caring Women of Udora
Dir: Anna Koryakovtseva; 45:00; Russian Federation; Documentary
Every year, an ancient rite dedicated to Saint Paraskeva Friday takes place in the village of Krivoe in the Udora district of Komi. her icon is washed with water from the local river with the help of... grouse feathers! The heroines of our film are 9 women of various ages, but even their seemingly everyday routine is permeated with the charm and amazing magic of the Russian North…
Strangers in Sendai - Andi and Me
Dir: Atsushi Kadowaki; 39:38; Japan; Documentary
I first met Andi in 2016 when I started to join an international interactive project connecting earthquake and tsunami affected Aceh (Indonesia) and Tohoku (Japan). The stories Andi san told showed me a different face of my hometown, Sendai. So I decided to shoot with him.
24 February; 5.30 pm
Periyar Thidal
Mahua Memoirs
Dir : Vinod Raja; 80 min; India; Documentary
Saloo, the bard and Thirku the Baiga take us on a journey through the lives of the many tribal communities who live in the mountain tracts and forests of the Eastern Ghats. The film unfolds the life visions and struggles of the Adivasis or indigenous people against mining that is mercilessly decimating their lands and lives.
Las Abogadas: Attorneys on the Front Lines of the Migrant Crisis
Dir: Victoria Bruce; 01:34:00; United States; Documentary
Las Abogadas follows four immigration attorneys over a multi-year odyssey beginning in 2018 as the U.S. government under President Trump upends every law to protect those fleeing from violence and war – and into 2021 when things fail to get better (and in some ways get worse) under President Biden.
25 February; 5.30 pm
Periyar Thidal
Fikirte
Dir: Yi Wu; 01:10:10; Ethiopia; Documentary
Fikirte, a 24-year-old single mother in Ethiopia. She lives in a container by the side of the road with her young children and sells coffee for a living.
After two failed marriages, she became pregnant unexpectedly, But her boyfriend went far away and lost contact. More unfortunately, the place where she lives is facing demolition, and the mother and her children are about to live on the streets.
A Pain in the Neck
Dir: Fernando Romero-Forsthuber, Pablo Zanon; 01:05:00; Austria / Mexico; Documentary
La piedra en el zapato” is a feature documentary about the struggle and efforts of Mexican students and teachers to form children into critical thinking citizens, despite facing the -sometimes deadly - hostility of the Mexican State.
Anwar
Dir: Rosa García Loire; 01:10:00; Spain; Documentary
Alex Txikon’s winter ascension on Manaslu, Nepal, is the seed of a story that will bring sustainable light to two very different places: Newton, Sierra Leone, and a special school in Diamer, Pakistan. Alpinism, solidarity and renewable energy are key to this story.
26 February; 5.30 pm
Periyar Thidal
80 YEARS LATER
Dir: Celine Parreñas Shimizu; 50:00; United States; Documentary
The feature documentary 80 YEARS LATER explores the racial inheritance of Japanese American family incarceration during World War II through multigenerational conversations with survivors and their descendants.
The Adventures of Saul Bellow
Dir: Asaf Galay; 01:25:45; United States; Documentary
The film traces Bellow's rise to eminence and examines his many identities: reluctant public intellectual, 'serial husband', father, Chicagoan, Jew and American. Interviews with the novelist's family and friends will shed new light on Bellow's personality and the way he turned life into art.
Dear Audrey
Dir: Jeremiah Hayes; 01:29:00; Canada; Documentary
Acclaimed activist filmmaker Martin Duckworth has devoted his life to peace and justice. But now he’s put down his camera to fight for the most important cause he’s ever faced—caring for his wife, Audrey Schirmer, through the final stages of Alzheimer’s. Martin tirelessly embraces each new chapter with grace and resilience, demonstrating his unconditional loyalty as he finds new reasons to love her each day.
27 February; 5.30
Periyar Thidal
Entrance Exam
Dir: Aditya Verma; 01:00:19; India; Documentary
In a remote village in central India, school teachers put their heart and soul to prepare a group of children for an entrance exam for admission in a Government-run School of Excellence (Utkrisht School). Public-funded, these schools take care of the complete expenses for the students and hence the admission for these children would ensure their continued studies as most of them are first-generation school-goers from underprivileged families. 'Entrance Exam' unfolds many layers of struggle in this intense journey as much as many pleasant surprises
Anthem for Kashmir
Dir : Sandeep Ravindranath; 9.14 min; India; Music Video
A collective punishment of a whole population for an unknown crime.
At the Moment of Death
Dir: Ajay Raina; 01:20:31; India; Documentary
Following his earlier film about the exodus of Hindus (Tell them, the tree they had planted has now grown – 2001), the filmmaker revisits Kashmir to follow a group of local Hindus who stayed back as they travel all across the Kashmir valley to document their vanishing—they meticulously archive their cultural and spiritual history, their traditional festivals and an ancient way of life. Filmed between 2003 and 2018, this documentary chronicles the process of extinction and the struggle to stay alive.
28 February; 5 pm
Periyar Thidal
5 pm : Closing ceremony / award ceremony
5.30 pm
Thaainilam
Dir : Someetharan; 55 min; India; Documentary
The real pandemic for the tamil home land in SriLanka.
In A Dissent Manner
Dir: Ehraz Zaman; 01:02:20; India; Documentary
The campus of Aligarh Muslim University became a battleground on 15th December, 2019 when police and RAF forces entered the campus on the pretext of dispersing protestors, and inflicted what can only be described as one of the worst cases of police brutality, and violence on the students. 'In A Dissent Manner', through various footage, and accounts of students and professors, explores the events of that one single night and its horrific after-effects on many students.
A Pile of Ghosts
Dir: Ella Raidel; 01:10:00; Austria / China; Documentary
A ghost story of urbanization. The last hotel, which has been condemned for demolition like the rest of the town, is still standing. The owner Charles imagines himself with a female visitor in the scenes of a Hollywood classic. The vexing interplay of documentary and fiction, in which construction workers, investors and real estate agents appear, takes place in contemporary China, where cities are built entirely on speculation, dictated by the fictions of capitalism.
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