‘All We Imagine as Light,’ ‘Pooja, Sir’ to Bookend as India’s Dharamshala Film Festival Sets Robust Slate With Female Directors in Focus

As a seasoned movie enthusiast with a penchant for international cinema, I am thrilled by the lineup of the 13th Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF). The festival’s emphasis on female filmmakers resonates deeply with me, having witnessed the powerful narratives they weave in their films.


For its thirteenth installment, taking place November 7th to 10th, India’s Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) has revealed its program. More than half of the feature film selections are led by women directors. In total, approximately 80 films from 28 different nations will be screened during this event.

Kicking off the festival is Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light,” a film that won the Grand Prix at Cannes and represents India’s first Palme d’Or competition entry in three decades. The closing night film will be Deepak Rauniyar’s “Pooja, Sir,” which had its premiere at Venice.

At the global stage, films like “Separated” by Errol Morris (from Venice) and Pedro Almodóvar’s award-winning “The Room Next Door” are featured. The event also includes “MA – Cry of Silence,” winner of the Busan New Currents Award, by The Maw Naing, as well as “Agent of Happiness,” a top pick from Biografilm 2024, created by Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó.

Prominent Indian selections include the Sundance Audience Award-winning film “Girls Will Be Girls” by Shuchi Talati, “Village Rockstars 2,” which received the Kim Jiseok Award at Busan, and “Chaar Phool Hain Aur Duniya Hai” directed by Achal Mishra, slated for its world debut.

Film Director Dibakar Banerjee is set to lead a workshop, where he’ll showcase an unseen movie titled “Tees.” This special occasion will include a discussion between Shahana Goswami, the leading actress from the film “Santosh,” and Bina Paul, our programming director.

Located at the foot of the Himalayas, Dharamshala is well-recognized worldwide as the residence of the Dalai Lama, who has lived there since his exile from Tibet in 1959. Filmmakers Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam, who are based in this town, have themselves created significant works documenting the Tibetan situation. Their films such as “Dreaming Lhasa” (2005), “The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet’s Struggle for Freedom” (2010), and “The Sweet Requiem” (2018) have been widely screened at numerous festivals, including Toronto and San Sebastian. The duo’s recent project, a short film in the anthology titled “State of Statelessness,” made its debut at Busan in October.

Ritu Sarin expressed great pride in observing that nearly half of this year’s festival’s feature films are directed by women, amounting to 24 out of 45. She emphasized that these women’s stories are essential, and the diversity in this year’s selection demonstrates the rich creativity and talent we have in our community,” is a natural and easy-to-read paraphrase of the original sentence.

Paul mentioned that our lineup for the 13th installment of DIFF features a blend of movies delving into challenging topics such as social disparities and emotional turmoil, along with ones that provide a temporary escape, enabling viewers to immerse themselves in alternate realities,” said Paul.

The Film Critics Guild plans to bestow its Gender Equality Honor, and DIFF Online intends to grant access to certain films remotely following the conclusion of the in-person event. Over a hundred filmmakers, actors, and production staff are anticipated to participate.

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2024-11-04 09:46