Film Festival 09 - Firaaq
Firaaq
India 2008, 101m
Director: Nandita Das
Festivals: Toronto, Vancouver 2008
"The directing debut of the superb actress Nandita Das, Firaaq is a
probing and discerning work that examines the emotional and
personal consequences of the religious strife and sectarian
violence roiling Hindus and Muslims in contemporary India. Best
known for her excellent work with Deepa Mehta (Fire, Earth), Das
sketched out the story and script for Firaaq with [Auckland] writer
Shuchi Kothari& The movie is steeped in the country's somber,
devastatingly contentious modern history& The story is set
around a chilling contemporary event, the 2002 ethnic clashes that
left some 3,000 Muslims dead in the province of Gujarat. The story
unfolds over an incident-packed 24-hour period, set one month after
the outbreak of violence. Das constructs her story like a fugue or
dance. She makes distinct and intensely visceral the sense of loss
as witnessed by the young Muslim couple who are devastated to find
their home in charred ruins." - Screendaily
In Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati and English, with English subtitles
