General Information
Completed On: 10 Jan, 2021
Duration: 8 min 30 sec
Genres: Documentary, Experimental
Language: Bengali
Country: India
Submitted By: Mrinmoy Nandi
Festival Rating
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) and its global spread have resulted in declaring a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The world including India rapidly responded and clamped Lockdown as a preventive strategy. Probably every country of the world had the time to prepare their minds for the change in their normal life except India, where only a four-hour notice period was given before lockdown enforcement. India witnessed a huge economic shock due to this unplanned lockdown, but the lower economic strata was affected the most.
This film has captured a slice of the status quo due to sudden implementation of complete lockdown in the city of Kolkata. It is framed from a point of view of the privileged middle class who had probably enjoyed a self-discovering, rejuvenating
creative home-time during this period with taking care of the requisite measure of protections etc. In the contrary to this situation, the lockdown exposed the plight and vulnerability of the poor people specially daily labourers and hand-to-mouth business people. Their meagre sources of earning went for a toss leaving them with vague hopes for “All will be okay soon!!”. This tiny cinematic narrative generates the dialogue between the middle class operating from behind the camera and the people of the lowest economic class captured through the lens. The film depicts this contrast in the effect of lockdown in two different classes of Indian society.
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DirectorsMrinmoy NandiPIKLU- a short film Best Film-1st Runner-Up & Best Cinematography Award, Cine-Parbon International Short Film Carnival and Awards 2020 Honourable Jury Mention, 10th Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival 2020 Outstanding Achievement Award- Short Film & Editing,
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ProducersKaahon Kommunications
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WritersMrinmoy Nandi
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CameraSuchandra Kundu
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EditingAtanu Maity
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Sound PostSourav Gupta
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Film TypeDocumentary, Experimental
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Genres
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Runtime8 minutes 30 seconds
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Completion Date10 Jan, 2021
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Production Budget2800 USD
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Country of OriginIndia
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Country of FilmingIndia
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Film LanguageBengali
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Shooting FormatDigital
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Aspect Ratio16:9
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Film ColorColor
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Student ProjectNo
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First-time FilmmakerNo
Director's Biography
Qualification:
Bachelor of Science, University of Calcutta
Post-Graduation in Cinematography, Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute (SRFTI)
Film Direction
1. Somoyer Janalaguli (Windows of Time) - a feature length documentary
Award: Honorable Mention - Experimental Forum, 2022
Official Selection:
Film Southasia
Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival
Cinemaking International Film Festival
2. Dhumpaner Opokarita (Smoking blocks...) - a short film
Award:
Cine-Parbon International Short Film Carnival and Awards 2022 (Best Film, Best Story, Best Screenplay)
Official Selection:
International Moving Film Festival
Siliguri Short and Documentary Film Festival 2022
Vindhya International Film Festival Madhya Pradesh
Kalaburagi International Film Festival
Kolhapur International Short Film Festival
South Asian Short Film Festival
International Film Festival of Ahmednagar India
3. PIKLU- a short film
Best Film-1st Runner-Up & Best Cinematography Award, Cine-Parbon International Short Film Carnival and Awards 2020
Best Short Film & Best Editing, Pattaya International Film Festival 2020
Honorable Jury Mention, 10th Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival 2020
Audience Choice Award, Tagore International Film Festival, 2020
Finalist, International Open Film Festival, Dhaka
Semi Finalist, Kalaburagi International Short Film festival 2020
Darbhanga International Film Festival, 2020
Siliguri Short & Documentary Film Festival, 2020
NexGn International Short Film Festival of India, 2020
3rd South Asian Short Film Festival 2020
Kalinga International Film Festival 2020
PlayButton Short Film Festival 2020
4. SHOHORNAMA (Urban shorts)
Special Jury Mention, National Documentary Short Film Festival 2018
5. KHELNABATI (Play Things), Documentary
Silver Palm - Mexico International film festival, 2012
0110 International Digital Film Festival
International Documentary & Short Film Festival of Kerala
6. ANIMAR AAKASH - a short fiction film on gender politics prevails in rural India
Cinephile 2015
Cinematography
SUNDER JIBAN (Rajat Kamal, National Award in 2002, Best Short Fiction Film)
Significant Works as Cinematographer
Documentaries
MURMURS OF SILENCE. A Documentary on the Central Library. University of Calcutta
DIRT. An International Film. National Film Board, Canada, Production
SITA KAHINI. (A TALE OF SITA)
CHHINNA MAHAL. A cross-border Independent Film on
Chitmahals of India and Bangladesh
LEGENDS - a documentary film on MANNA DEY. Produced by HMV SA RE GA MA
SHABNAM. 30mins. A Documentary on THE FIRST WOMAN KAZI OF INDIA, for PSBT, India
A Documentary on THE SATRA MAHASABHA, ASSAM
URMI-CHANGEMAKER. A BBC series
MARITIME INDIA. A Documentary for a European Channel
AUDREY’S DRESS. A Documentary with DOMINIQUE
LAPIERRE for a French and a Spanish Channel
GHOST OF EMPIRE. A Documentary on the works of famous Irish Sculptor JOHN HENRY FOLEY for HISTORY CHANNEL
Feature Films
ANTAR BAHIR
MAHALAYA
BAROOD
JHUMURA
BASANTA UTSAV
TOBE TAI HOK
GHENTE GHAW
PA MA GA RE SAA
PURPLE HAZE
Short Film
DOUR (RUN)
SAHORE (IN THE CITY)
POISON
LOVE INTERLUDE
THE WINDOW
SUNDER JIBAN (National Award in 2003)
Activities
Recently completed an extensive research based audio-visual documentation project for Cultural Research Institute, Kolkata on art, culture and crafts of 10 scheduled tribes of North Bengal.
Editor of www.kaahon.com, the leading web portal researching, documenting and archiving art & cultural activities of present and past.
Director's Statement
The whole show of nation state and all its components like state power, economic planning, media, lockdown etc. have been formed, run by elites (upper to middle economy class) only. Poor citizens never play any role in taking calls to run the entire system except casting their votes in the vaguely democratic parliamentary system. They are the voters and Victims as well.
