Spectacular
FEATURE FILMS
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Luis Palomino Benítez
Punished for cheating at school, Pat and Arun shave their heads and dye their white sheets saffron to escape from home disguised as novice monks. Scamming, they’ll live this adventure until falling into the hands of real criminals.
Ojaswwee Sharma
“Rabb Di Awaaz” charts the transformative journey of a young professional disillusioned with life. Amidst feelings of inadequacy, a fateful encounter at the workplace changes everything for good.
“Rabb Di Awaaz” is a simple, heartwarming story of a radio jockey (RJ) named Karan, who, disenchanted with the materialism pervading life, feels powerless to effect meaningful change. Struggling with loneliness and despair, he meets a ‘Farishta’ (God’s messenger) who guides him through his challenges.
Set over 48 hours in the scenic Tricity (Chandigarh Region), primarily within a radio station where RJ Karan works, the film vividly captures the essence of Chandigarh. Through director Ojaswwee Sharma’s world, the city becomes a dynamic character in the narrative, serving as a tribute to the ‘Specially Abled’ and highlighting issues of mental health while advocating for the inclusion of visually impaired individuals in society. In 77 minutes, the film sensitively explores themes of societal fragmentation and psychological well-being, ultimately offering a message of hope.
JAYAN CHERIAN
Jayaram Siddi, a twelve-year-old boy, lives in a village in Uttara Kannada, possessed by the spirit of his recently deceased grandpa, Rama Bantu Siddi. His working-class parents, Bhaskar Siddi and Yashoda Siddi, are worried and seek a solution from local black magicians and medicine men, which does not affect his condition. Jayaram keeps himself in his dream world that opens a shamanic path in front of him. He devises a plan to speak with his dead ancestors through the magical instruments he inherited from his grandfather. During the process, he loses his sanity by knowing the history of his ancestral life and the torture and misery they went through. He is caught up in the tangle of the intergenerational trauma of chattel slavery. Gradually, he loses his grip on the reality of his life. Jayaram drops out of school. ‘The Rhythm of Damam’ tells the struggles of Jayaram and his family to regain the balance of his life by returning to tribal rituals and Damam music, which is an integral part of his community’s cultural existence.