Hellaro
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Polish premiereTheatrical Screenings
Kinoteka 2
Kinoteka 2
Film description
The vast marshes of the Great Rann of Kutch, the burning sun, and the stinging salt in the eyes. This the reality of a village in Gujarat, West India, whose inhabitants are the masters of garba – an expressive, dynamic, freeing, choreographically precise dance that can only be performed by men. In the village, ruled by the codes of patriarchy, women live in confinement, isolated from everything that could bring them joy. Their dance could insult the gods who are already believed to have cursed the village with drought for the sins of one young woman.
The women's only contact with the outside world are their daily water expeditions. One day, on their way to the spring, they meet a mysterious man and save him from deadly dehydration. The man turns out to be a drummer – when he starts playing his dholu, the women can perform their own dance for the first time. "Hellaro" is a mixture of soap opera, a musical, and a story of emancipation. Here, the rejection of patriarchy is expressed both through the stunning costumes, and the rhythmically moving bodies the camera is trying to keep up with, crating its own,equally impressive choreography.
text:
Łukasz Mańkowski
Abhishek Shah
Born in Ahmadabad in 1982. Screenwriter, film and theater director. His feature debut "Hellaro" is the first film made in the state of Gujarat to win the most important Indian film awards. It was inspired by the local folklore and the history of exclusion in Vrajvani, a village in the Kutch district. The film was praised in India for the way it portrays the Gujarati culture and the patriarchal oppression. Shah is also known in the film industry as great casting director who helped discover many famous Gujarati actors and actresses.
2019 Hellaro
