Schedule at a glance
Saturday, August 18th 2012 |
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| Deool Marathi / 12:00 - 2:30pm |
Shorts Collection | Q&A Various / 3.00 - 4:30pm |
Greater Elephant | Q&A Hindi / 5.00 - 7.00pm |
Desert Flower English / 7.30 - 9.30pm |
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Sunday, August 19th 2012 |
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| Peace Tree | Kids' Special English / 11.00 - 11.50am |
Gattu | Family Friendly Hindi / 1.00 - 2.30pm |
Road To Ladakh Hindi / 3.00 - 4.15pm |
Amu English / 4.30 - 6.45pm |
Patang Hindi / 7.00 - 8.30pm |
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Deool
Saturday, August 18 at 12:00pm
Marathi, English subtitles
Winner of the 59th National Film Awards for Best Feature Film, Best Actor (Girish Kulkarni), and Best Dialogue, Deool is a story of a small, peaceful village that gets caught in a wave of modernization and commercialization. The movie highlights the ongoing conflict between local politics and the ambitions and expectations of the new generation.
Compilation of Short Movies
Saturday, August 18 at 3:00pm
Special screening - Q&A with filmmakers
Roots of Love
Told through the stories of six different men ranging in age from fourteen to eighty-six, Roots of Love documents the changing significance of hair and the turban among Sikhs in India. We see younger Sikh men abandoning their hair and turban to follow the current fashion trends, while the older generation struggles to retain the visible symbols of their religious identity. The film is a timely and relevant exploration of the inherent conflict between tradition and modernity, between pragmatism and faith. The choice of cutting one's hair is one that not only concerns the individual and his family, but an entire community.
Little Terrorist
Jamal, a 12 year old Muslim Pakistani mistakenly crosses the border between India and Pakistan, finding an unusual ally in a Hindu Brahmin, Bhola. Indian soldiers descend on Bhola's village searching for the 'terrorist' who crossed over. His niece Rani, insists they can't let a Muslim into their Hindu home. With Bhola and Rani grappling with the consequences of harboring a Pakistani and their deep-set prejudice against Muslims, Jamal's only hope is the humanity shared by a people separated by artificial boundaries a long time ago.
Based on a TRUE STORY: In early 2003 - a twelve year old Pakistani boy crossed the Indo Pak border by mistake. Indian Prime Minister Atal Bhihari Vajpaee, amidst PR fanfare, restored the boy to his family in Pakistan, kicking off the thaw in tensions between these two nuclear countries who came so close to war less than a year earlier.
Guttersnipes
Jo, a 17 year-old homeless girl, finds Waverly, a 12 year-old autistic girl who's been abandoned on the street. Seeing she's alone and helpless Jo knocks Wave to the ground, robs her, and leaves her there. ¿ The next day Jo finds Waverly in the same spot, cold and terrified. Jo is upset and moved. Should she keep going on her way or do something for this lost little girl? Does street-hardened Jo have a soft and caring side?
Greater Elephant
Saturday, August 18 at 5:00pm
90 mins/Hindi, English, Marathi with English Subtitles
Special screening - Q&A with filmmakers
A mahout has lost his elephant. A theater owner has lost her god. A god has lost his identity. A devil has lost his teeth. A constable has lost his faith. And they've all lost their marbles. Greater Elephant is a wicked assembly of those who still haven't found what they are looking for: a purpose. Greater Elephant is a clever and humorous satire. It won the 2011 Jury Prize for Best Feature Film at South Asian International Film Festival, NY.
Desert Flower
Saturday, August 18 at 7:30pm
English
Special screening - Spotlight on Africa
Rated R. Viewer descretion recommended
From the Somali desert to the world's catwalks. When Waris Dirie's book Desert Flower appeared in 1998, the world was shocked. The former supermodel tells her breathtaking life story, describing her incredible journey from a nomadic life in the deserts of Somalia to the world's most famous catwalks. This was a dream and a nightmare at the same time. In New York, at the peak of her career, she tells in an interview of the practice of female genital mutilation that she had to suffer when she was five. Waris Dirie decides to end her life as a model and dedicate her life to fighting this archaic ritual.
Peace Tree
Sunday, August 19 at 11:00am
English
Kids' Special - Children under 12yrs welcome, no additional booking required
Shazia, a 7 year old Muslim girl and Kylie, her Christian friend, dream of celebrating each others' festivals, Christmas and Eid. But when they share their dreams, they are met with resistance from their parents who express their concerns. The Peace Tree shares the voices of the children who try to enlighten their parents to the importance of sharing and celebrating diversity together. Through their struggles, they create a unique symbol - The Peace Tree.
Symbols like the origami paper crane, the Moon and the Star (from Islam), the Om (from Hinduism), the Star of David (from Judaism) and the dove are highlighted from every culture and faith on The Peace Tree to celebrate peace and create hope for our planet.
Gattu
Sunday, August 19 at 1:00pm
Hindi, English subtitles
Family Friendly - Children under 12yrs welcome, no additional booking required
In this town, the sky is full of kites, and all the kids are obsessed with kite-flying. The kite, Kali, rules the skies. No one knows who flies Kali. No one can defeat Kali. An illiterate street urchin takes up the challenge. With neither money nor education on his side, he sets out for his goal. Dreams aren't impossible when the desire is strong.
Gattu won the Best Feature Film Special Mention award at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival 2012. In their words "We felt the potential for life's wonders could be seen in every child's eye; and in particular, the boundless ingenuity of the young rascal was utterly compelling. Along with the heavenly dueling spectacle throughout, this combination created a humorous, energetic and joyous ride. We award this film for capturing the ironies, the complexities and the vitality of India".
Road to Ladakh
Sunday, August 19 at 3:00pm
48mins/Hindi, English subtitles
Brief nudity/sexual content and drug use. Viewer descretion recommended
A dysfunctional, coke-snorting reporter, Sharon and a nameless strong silent stranger, Shafiq, are brought together in the surreal moonscapes of the Indian high altitude desert of Ladakh, when a mechanic mistakenly exchanges their car tires. Intrigued by Shafiq, Sharon throws herself into a road journey that is as much an adventure as it is an expression of loneliness and desperation.
The tension between a sexually inexperienced Shafiq and giddy Sharon mounts as they fall in love. Their tryst is shadowed by the growing menace of the army. When they finally reach Leh, military headquarters near the borders between India and Pakistan, Sharon discovers the true nature of Shafiq¿s deadly mission.
In a poignant love making scene, Sharon's sense of pragmatism and self-preservation struggle with her feelings for Shafiq. She has to make a choice.
Have I Shared Too Much
English
What is the right amount of personal information that should be shared online? And what should a person share with their co-workers? Have I Shared Too Much takes a comical look at the downside of social networking. It follows what happens when co-workers that are heavy users of social networking websites discover that information overload brings about a new set of problems.
Amu
Sunday, August 19 at 4:30pm
English, Hindi, English subtitles
Her trip back home turned into the journey of a lifetime... Amu is the story of Kaju, a twenty-one-year-old Indian American woman who returns to India to visit her family. The film takes a dark turn as Kaju stumbles against secrets and lies from her past. A horrifying genocide that took place twenty years ago turns out to hold the key to her mysterious origins. Starring National Award winner Konkona Sensharma and activist Brinda Karat, this film is a journey through history that seems to have been forgotten.
Patang
Sunday, August 19 at 7:00pm
Hindi, English subtitles
Every year a million kites fill the skies above Ahmedabad dueling, soaring, tumbling and flying high. When a successful Delhi businessman takes his daughter on a surprise trip back to his childhood home for the festival, an entire family has to confront its own fractured past and fragile dreams.
Music and fireworks, food and laughter, a kaleidoscope of color and light, the magic of the kite flying high, a traditional recipe of healing and renewal. With naturalistic performances from actors and non-actors alike, bold, lyrical editing, vibrant cinematography and a kinetic score, Patang delights the senses and nourishes the spirit.
