(July 25, 2022)
BHUBANESWAR: Short films, made by Odia filmmakers, have been showcased in two ongoing international film festivals.
While feature films — Torch and Manayun-My Wonderland — both produced and directed by Santanu Mishra and Pranab Aich respectively have been screened at the Durban International Film Festival Audience Award, Nitya Mishra-directed The Salon has been showcased at the India Film Festival, Stuttgart, Germany.
Torch is a story of a 19-year-old boy from a remote village of Odisha who aspires to be an electrical engineer despite several challenges related to his health and situation. Manayun-My Wonderland is a documentary on the journey of a village teacher of an Odisha district who takes up the challenge to bring children of the Kutia Kondh tribal community to school.
“These are true stories about dreams, aspirations, dedication and victory of human spirit. Smile Foundation, an NGO, has co-produced both the films to sensitise people and engage them proactively in initiating social change,” said Santanu Mishra.
The Salon delves into the story of Nimmi, a middle-aged woman, and her widowhood.
“I wanted to explore the identity conflict of a widow, which may come with liberation and guilt, through this story. In the film, Nimmi strikes up a conversation with her hair stylist. It’s interesting for me to see the brief connection between two strangers,” said Nitya Mishra