Focus: India
A section devoted to films from a region that rarely makes it to Five Flavours program. But there are a few good reasons to have a closer look at the cinema of the most populated country on the planet, determined to play an increasingly important geopolitical role, pulsating with worries, ambitions, and desires of its people.
Poland's first overview of independent cinema from India, where in recent years there has been an explosion of creativity among filmmakers from different regions of the country.
Indian cinema produces over 2000 films a year, and watching them is an important collective ritual. Collectivity is also the theme tying together the films of the section. The stories chosen for the program focus on groups rather than individuals. Thinking about groups, collectives, and castes, we think about the things they share and those that divide them – about rituals, class differences, conflicts, beliefs, and the daily dynamics of the oftentimes oppressive system.
The creators Indian arthouse cinema are living through their Golden Age, which is clearly visible at international festivals. In their hands, the film matter comes back to life, forged into a clever, modern, and extremely colorful cinema. Each film of the Focus: India section is a chance to get to know a different region of India and its varying traditions – both in terms of culture and the organization of film industry.
