Sixteen Indian Films To Look Out For At Cannes Film Festival 2022

The upcoming edition of the Cannes International Film Festival, which will be held from May 17 to May 28, is set to celebrate India as the country of honour at its Marché du Film (Film Market). It is notable that this year marks the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, as well as 75 years of Indian independence.

This is the first time that the Cannes Film Market has an official country of honour. Future editions of the festival will continue this new tradition with different nations honoured each year. Actor Deepika Padukone will also serve as an international jury member at the festival.

Satyajit Ray’s 1970 film Pratidwandi (The Adversary) has also been chosen for an exclusive screening at the festival. It is presented by the National Film Development Corporation’s (NFDC) National Film Archive of India, and has been restored under the Indian Government’s National Film Heritage Mission.

On that note, Silverscreen India brings to you, a list of Indian films to look out for, at the upcoming festival.

All That Breathes

Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes follows two siblings, Mohammad Saud and Nadeem Shehzad, who have devoted their lives to rescuing and treating injured birds, especially black kites. In January, the 90-minute long film won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival, a film gala that promotes independent cinema and filmmakers. Sen’s film is a part of the Special Screenings line-up at Cannes.

The Tale of a Santa and His Moth

Directed by Aneek Chaudhuri, The Tale of a Santa and His Moth is a take on the perspectives of third-world countries on war, and its subsequent effects on them. The story revolves around a father named Pedro (Pawan Chopra) and his ailing daughter (Usha Banerjee). Pedro used to play fancy characters at people’s parties. But when the time comes for him to choose between his job and taking care of his daughter, he chooses the latter.

In an earlier conversation with Silverscreen India, Chaudhuri explained the title and said, “The father’s role is that of a Santa to his daughter, who asks him for the cake. The ‘moth’ reference is because moths are a species that die very soon,” and added that the film was initially conceived as a short film.

A Place of One’s Own

Directed and produced by the Ektara Collective, A Place of One’s Own delves into the lives of two trans women, Laila and Roshni, who look for a house, after being evicted from a place that they had rented. “It soon becomes evident that their search for a home is also their ongoing search for a place in this society that wants to keep them away in a section that cannot be the center,” reads Cannes’ official synopsis of the film.

Baghjan

This Assamese-language film, directed by Jaicheng Zxai Dohutia, deals with the real-life incidents of the 2020 gas and oil leak in Assam’s Baghjan area. “Fisherman Manab lives with his wife Bharabi in a small village, Baghjan, which is a fertile oil & gas field. One day during oil extraction a massive blast takes place and the entire village catches fire that has devastating consequences,” reads the film’s official synopsis.

Baghjan is a work-in-progress and is expected to be completed in 2023.

Bailadila

Directed by Shailendra Sahu, Bailadila tells the tale of 10-year-old Rinku and his elder brother Jiten, who is a passionate artist caught up in a miserable teaching job. “Rinku finds himself at the threshold of boyhood after losing his mother, moving in with his brother and experiences many things for the first time,” reads the official synopsis.

Follower

Harshad Nalawade’s Follower looks into the story of a journalist, who believes in exposing the atrocities faced by his community. “But as the line between his professional and personal life blurs, an inconvenient truth makes him reflect back on a simpler time when he had not yet succumbed to radicalization,” adds the film’s synopsis.

Shivamma

Directed by Jai Shankar and produced by Kannada actor Rishab Shetty, Shivamma narrates the story of a 46-year-old poverty-stricken woman of the same name, who invests in a network marketing business to make some quick money. However, it puts her daughter’s imminent marriage at stake.

Le Musk

Le Musk is directed by Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman, who has also composed the film’s music. The film features actors Nora Arnezeder and Guy Burnet in prominent roles. An ode to music and memory, Le Musk deals with revenge.

“Dipping into the abstract trenches of the woman’s psyche, Le Musk constructs a compelling world of music and scent that lay bare sinister and pure motives. As Juliet searches for the four men — the injured, the tattooed, the poacher, and the ‘Musk’ — she must come face to face with the price of her purpose and confront the persistent presence of the past,” reads the film’s official synopsis.

The film is born out of a conversation between the music director and his wife Saira Rahman, both of whom share a love for perfumes and have employed scent as a narrative device.

Le Musk will be presented at the Cannes XR section.

Nauha

Directed by Pratham Khurana, Nauha (to grieve) is the coming-of-age story of a 22-year-old man named Kishan, and his experiences of taking care of a 75-year-old dying man, Babuji. The film is presented by the Whistling Woods Internation school of filmmaking, and will be presented in Cannes’ Cinefondation section.

Rocketry: The Nambi Effect

Written, directed, produced, and headlined by R Madhavan, Rocketry is a biographical drama based on the life of former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan, who fought for justice, after being accused of espionage. Simran will also be seen alongside Madhavan in the film. It is set to release in India, on July 2.

Godavari

Directed by Nikhil Mahajan, Godavari tells the story of a family that lives by the banks of the river Godavari in the city of Nashik, in Maharashtra. It features Jitendra Joshi, Neena Kulkarni, and Vikram Gokhale in prominent roles.

Boomba Ride

This Biswajit Bora-directorial is a comical satire on India’s rural education system. The film is set against the backdrop of a lower primary school, where teachers mainly struggle to keep the school up and running, as it has only one student named Boomba.

Dhuin

Directed by Achal Mishra, Dhuin narrates the tale of Pankaj, a small-time theatre actor, who dreams of making it big in Mumbai. However, weighed down by the obligations to his family, which has financial struggles, Pankaj is compelled to reconsider his dreams.

Alpha Beta Gamma

“As a deadly virus spreads across the globe, a woman, her almost ex-husband, and her about-to-be husband are locked down under one roof for 14 days and they realise that it is very difficult to move on and even tougher to let go,” reads the film’s synopsis, which is directed by Shankar Sri Kumar.

Tree Full of Parrots

Directed by Jayaraj R, Tree Full of Parrots is a Malayalam-language film that tells the story of an eight-year-old boy Poonjan, and how he helps a blind man find his way back home. “Poonjan tried to find the way to the blind man’s home, asking directions to acquaintances and strangers enroute. Disheartened with the outcome of their journey, he was about to give up on the quest. Right then, they hear the sound of parrots which lead them to the ‘tree full of parrots'”, reads the film’s synopsis.

It is to be noted, however, that Rocketry, Godavari, Boomba Ride, Dhuin, Tree Full of Parrots, and Alpha Beta Gamma have not made it to the any of the official selections at the festival, and are just a part of the line-up of Indian films to be screened at the festival.

In addition to the aforementioned films, the first-look posters of Pa Ranjith‘s film Vettuvam, and Sandeep Singh’s Safed will also debut at the festival.