Cannes Film Festival 2024 begins on May 14, and as usual, there is a fine selection of Indian films across the screening and competition segments: Shahana Goswami will be seen as Constable Santosh in director Sandhya Suri's 'Santosh' in the Un Certain Regard section while Radhika Apte starrer 'Sister Midnight' is part of Directors' Fortnight at Cannes. Director Payal Kapadia is returning to Cannes with an unusual take on love and marriage in 'All We Imagine As Light'. And a restored version of Shyam Benegal's 'Manthan' is returning to Cannes for the first time since it released in 1976. Here's a quick rundown:
1. The Shameless directed by Konstantin Bojanov, May 17-20
A young woman named Renuka is on the run after stabbing a policeman. After escaping from a brothel in Delhi, she again finds herself among sex workers who offer her refuge in north India. While living with them, Renuka meets Devika. Renuka and Devika's bond grows beyond friendship. But this kind of love is forbidden.
2. Manthan directed by Shyam Benegal, May 17
Girish Karnad played Dr Rao in the now-iconic film about an idealist who wants to shake up the socio-economic order by setting up a cooperative so that the producers and workers on the ground can share in the profits. A restored print of the film will be shown under the Cannes Classic section which also includes Steven Spielberg's 'The Sugarland Express', Kaku Arakawa's 'Hayao Miyazaki and The Heron' and Robert Bresson's 'Four Nights of a Dreamer' this year.
3. Santosh directed by Sandhya Suri, May 20-23
Shahana Goswami plays a recently widowed woman in rural north India. She gets her deceased husband's job as part of a new government scheme. On her first case as a constable, she works with a feminist inspector (Sunita Rajwar) on a case of rape and murder of a low-caste girl.
4. Sunflowers Were The First Ones to Know by Chidananda S Naik, May 21
Backed by the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, this 16-minute film starts with an old woman stealing the village rooster. Now, when the rooster stops crowing, the sun stops rising over the village. There is eternal darkness. Don't miss the sound design by Abhishek Kadam.
5. Bunnyhood by Mansi Maheshwari, May 23
UK-based Mansi Maheshwari's animated film is backed by the UK's National Film and Television School, The National Lottery and BBC Studios. Part of the La Cinef section, the film is about a child coming to terms with a parent lying to them.
6. All We Imagine As Light by Payal Kapadia, May 23-25
Prabha, a nurse in Mumbai, hasn't heard from her husband in about a year. One day, a package arrives from Germany, where her husband now works, throwing her life and her thoughts into turmoil. Prabha's coworker Anu has her own struggles in the meantime: she's looking for a safe place to get intimate with her boyfriend. Payal Kapadia has previously shown films at Cannes, including the 2021 Golden Eye-winning documentary 'A Night of Not Knowing Anything'.
7. Sister Midnight by Karan Kandhari, May 19
Starring Radhika Apta, Sister Midnight is about a small-town girl having trouble fitting into married life in crowded environs in a massive city. Radhika Apte posted on Instagram that the film will be part of the Cannes' Director Fortnight section.
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