26th Madurai International Documentary and Short Film Festival 2024
6-10 December; multiple venues, Madurai
Category - Indian Documentary
Prisoner No. 626710 is Present
Dir : Lalit Vachani; 60 min; Documentary; India
Prisoner No. 626710 waits interminably for a bail hearing in court.
Meanwhile, two friends who await his release, reminisce and discuss the events and the
circumstances that led to his arrest…
Dir : Lalit Vachani; 60 min; Documentary; India
Prisoner No. 626710 waits interminably for a bail hearing in court.
Meanwhile, two friends who await his release, reminisce and discuss the events and the
circumstances that led to his arrest…
Name: Beyond Ratings
Dir: Aprajita Gupta; 37:30 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: Three women share their experience of navigating the app-world in the metro city. The sharings reveal gendered battles as platform workers and the tiresome reality of gig-workers' identities against the absent bosses, masked behind their apps. Filmed in the streets of New Delhi, the protagonists share about their door-to-door gigs, the surveillance at their workplaces and the absence of accountability in the urban landscape.
Name: Pushpa Ka Rickshaw
Dir: Aajad Singh Khichi; 15:49 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: In a remote village of Charbardi, in central India, Puspha Didi breaks the stereotype by driving the e-rickshaw, the first women driver in the entire tehsil, not marred by the people casting doubts on the capabilities of a woman as a driver. But the general commuters are relieved by the arrival of a transport in the village for plying up and down to the market and the tehsil headquarter, and more importantly, it also gives Pushpa Didi a new identity.
Name: The Dance Of Gods
Dir: Zafar Mehdi; 21:27 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: “The Dance of Gods “delves into the heart of Kerala's 1500-year-old Theyyam tradition, a sacred ritual where ordinary men transform into living deities. This documentary intimately follows the lives of Theyyam artists, revealing their extraordinary journey from mortals to gods. We witness their struggles, intense preparations, and the profound physical and spiritual metamorphosis they undergo to embody divine spirits.
Dir: Aprajita Gupta; 37:30 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: Three women share their experience of navigating the app-world in the metro city. The sharings reveal gendered battles as platform workers and the tiresome reality of gig-workers' identities against the absent bosses, masked behind their apps. Filmed in the streets of New Delhi, the protagonists share about their door-to-door gigs, the surveillance at their workplaces and the absence of accountability in the urban landscape.
Name: Pushpa Ka Rickshaw
Dir: Aajad Singh Khichi; 15:49 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: In a remote village of Charbardi, in central India, Puspha Didi breaks the stereotype by driving the e-rickshaw, the first women driver in the entire tehsil, not marred by the people casting doubts on the capabilities of a woman as a driver. But the general commuters are relieved by the arrival of a transport in the village for plying up and down to the market and the tehsil headquarter, and more importantly, it also gives Pushpa Didi a new identity.
Name: The Dance Of Gods
Dir: Zafar Mehdi; 21:27 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: “The Dance of Gods “delves into the heart of Kerala's 1500-year-old Theyyam tradition, a sacred ritual where ordinary men transform into living deities. This documentary intimately follows the lives of Theyyam artists, revealing their extraordinary journey from mortals to gods. We witness their struggles, intense preparations, and the profound physical and spiritual metamorphosis they undergo to embody divine spirits.
Name: A Winter That Burned Delhi: Silent Screams and Broken Promises of 1984
Dir; Rahul Milind; 59:36 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: Four decades after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, how are the tumultuous events of 1984 in Punjab and Delhi remembered today, where post-1984 generations still navigate grief, pain, and a sense of loss? Taking an ethnographic approach and interlinking themes such as state violence against minorities and identity formation through the lens of collective memory and generational trauma, A Winter that Burned Delhi: Silent Screams and Broken Promises of 1984 is the debut documentary film of Rahul Milind, an incoming Master's student at The University of Chicago and a history undergraduate from Krea University.
Name: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: Now & Then
Dir: Jyoti Nisha; 01:50:50 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: Through the discerning gaze of a Bahujan feminist filmmaker operating within the upper-caste Indian film industry, the film delves into critical themes of liberty, equality, fraternity, social justice, exclusion and marginalized representation. Bridging the realms of Ambedkarite politics with the visual language of cinema, it offers a poignant representation of the culture, history, and politics of marginalized communities within popular cinema and media. A cinematic embodiment of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s philosophical legacy, as it questions the deeply rooted institution of caste in India, the film becomes a powerful commentary on religion, revolution, politics, and the fundamental right to freedom of speech.
Name: Herd Walk
Dir: Ankit Pogula; 01:02:53 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: After 70 years of herding, Neelkanth Mama's walk is coming to a cruel halt. Meanwhile, Vajir’s attempt to keep walking his sheep is getting thwarted within his home. ‘No girl wants to marry a shepherd’, says his youngest son. Set on the Deccan plateau, Bhed Chal follows the gritty journey of the two Kurba shepherds as they negotiate through new aspirations, barricaded commons and a changing climate. All this to preserve what they call is the last connection between the civil and the wild.
Name: Formless Form
Dir: Deba Ranjan; 60:00 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: Worshipping idols and scriptures, fasting, pilgrimaging, following discipleship, believing in sin and redemption have been the religious tradition of Indian subcontinent. This upholds the caste system and social hierarchy in the society. This film is about the journey of a religious faith - propagated by Mahima Swamy and Bhimabhoi in eighteenth century of Odisha, eastern part of India opposing the caste system, idol worship and pilgrimage. The Mahima Dharma, as it is largely known, then spread as mode of resistance in those feudatory states of Odisha where exploitation by the Britishers and feudal lords were more. During the life-time of Bhimabhoi the Jagannath Temple at Puri was also attacked. Where this faith stands now? Do its followers still oppose the caste system, or, has it been co-opted by the same Hindu religion against which once it had raised its voice?
Name: Flickering Lights
Dir: Anupama Srinivasan, Anirban Dutta; 01:30:00 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: Near the Indo-Myanmar border, far from the Indian mainland and mainstream consciousness, there is a village of the Naga community called Tora. Years of neglect coupled with a long history of insurgency have meant that basic civic amenities are conspicuous by their absence. Seventy years after Indian independence, the people of Tora hear that electricity is finally on its way. They are wary as they have been let down too often in the past. As pits are dug and poles erected, Khamrang, the grand old man of the village, watches with a skeptical eye. His real dream is to see his people attain sovereignty. Jasmine, a pragmatic woman, sees an opportunity in the coming of electricity and dreams of buying a refrigerator to support her children's education. As the installation work proceeds in a bizarre and haphazard way, life flickers between hope and frustration. Does electricity arrive in Tora? When it does, will it bring the promised joy?
Name: Seaspeaker
Dir: Parvathi Nayar; 16:30 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: Faith and knowledge entwine to flow deep within fisher elder S Palayam, who lives in the fishing village of Urur Olcott Kuppam, located in the South Indian city of Chennai.
Name: Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi- Vintage Cars in Indian Weddings
Dir: Urvi Varshney; 15:31 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: A collector's dream, an owner's pride, a groom's delight, and a sight for sore eyes; vintage cars are far from being forgotten. This documentary delves into the timeless beauty and enduring charm of vintage cars, capturing the dynamic genres of action, drama, and the fast-paced love for these classic vehicles. With a mix-media touch, including animation and motion graphics, it brings a cinematic and filmi flair to the storytelling. From their meticulous manufacturing in workshops to the customizations tailored to individual needs, the film explores every facet of these automotive masterpieces.
Name: 6500 Days
Dir: Dhruti Rathod; 01:24:00 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: A 23-year-old filmmaker lands in one of the most militarized conflict zones Kashmir - where she finds a Kashmiri lawyer, Subreen, fighting for victims affected by domestic violence, one of which is a British lady Tia(71), who has been trapped in the region for over 6500 days as she awaits a miracle, alone.
Name: extraORDINARY WOMEN
Dir: Mrdu Pankaj; 17:21 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: A documentary film on women migrant laborers who work as house help in Mumbai. These women leave their family behind to nurture the family they serve. Though they may not be educated or empowered, that doesn't stop them from dreaming big.
Name: NEVER SAY DIE
Dir: Diya Gambhir; 9:37 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: Never say die is the title I have chosen for my film. Since the work is inspired by the life of my aunt, I have titled it as she would like it to be. My aunt is the sister of my father. This project is an attempt to understand personal experiences and transform them into cinema.
Name: Mic Drop
Dir: Kallol Mukherjee; 27:00 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: In a region where the native language is often overlooked, a young Bundelkhandi (a tribal dialect) rapper from Madhya Pradesh, India works tirelessly on his first album. As he faces financial struggles and a lack of resources, the question remains: will he be able to make it and at what cost?
Name: Hues & Blues
Dir: Vinayakram C; 45:24 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: Prasanna, Prasenjit, Ayushi and Vivek are individuals living separate lives and having distinct careers in different cities of the world. Being queer is a common thread they have and united by chance, they come together to throw a camping festival for the queer community in India. The festival is named "URU" meaning "VILLAGE" in the southern languages of India.
Name: BLOODLINE
Dir: SHRIHARSH MAHENDRA GAJBHIYE; 01:02:06 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: A story of survival, an unusual journey of the life and sacrifice of a fierce mother.
One that shapes the survivals of her progeny, her legacy, in the dynamic landscape of Central India. One that she will defend with her life, even at the cost of her own existence.Story of a forgotten icon, Bloodline is a story of Madhuri or tiger (T10), the the grand matriarch of the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.
Name: The Caretakers
Dir: Biswajit Das: 20:17 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: A conservationist in the north eastern Indian state of Assam devises innovative solutions to mitigate damaging human elephant conflict and develop community tolerance.
Name: 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.
Dir: Kallol Mukherjee; 27:00 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: In a region where the native language is often overlooked, a young Bundelkhandi (a tribal dialect) rapper from Madhya Pradesh, India works tirelessly on his first album. As he faces financial struggles and a lack of resources, the question remains: will he be able to make it and at what cost?
Name: Hues & Blues
Dir: Vinayakram C; 45:24 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: Prasanna, Prasenjit, Ayushi and Vivek are individuals living separate lives and having distinct careers in different cities of the world. Being queer is a common thread they have and united by chance, they come together to throw a camping festival for the queer community in India. The festival is named "URU" meaning "VILLAGE" in the southern languages of India.
Name: BLOODLINE
Dir: SHRIHARSH MAHENDRA GAJBHIYE; 01:02:06 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: A story of survival, an unusual journey of the life and sacrifice of a fierce mother.
One that shapes the survivals of her progeny, her legacy, in the dynamic landscape of Central India. One that she will defend with her life, even at the cost of her own existence.Story of a forgotten icon, Bloodline is a story of Madhuri or tiger (T10), the the grand matriarch of the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.
Name: The Caretakers
Dir: Biswajit Das: 20:17 min; Documentary; India
Synopsis: A conservationist in the north eastern Indian state of Assam devises innovative solutions to mitigate damaging human elephant conflict and develop community tolerance.
Name: 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.
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