Latest news with #ADollMadeUpofClay
Economic Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
A lonely footballer breathes life into clay
News of cross-cultural exchanges and transnational cooperation in the arts have become oxygen for my determined optimism in an increasingly divided world. The Oscars earlier this year delivered tankfuls of hope with the Iranian auteur-in-exile Mohammad Rasoulof's Farsi film, The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Daane-ye anjeer-e ma'abed), in the fray as Germany's entry in the Best International Feature race, while Britain entered a Hindi language production - British Indian director Sandhya Suri's Santosh - in that category. Both were premiered last summer at the Cannes Film Festival, an event that routinely throws up instances of blurring borders. One such heartening collaboration at the just-concluded Cannes 2025 bears a stamp of India. A Doll Made Up of Clay - part of the official selection for the students' competition at the fest - is written and directed by Kokob Gebrehaweria Tesfay, an Ethiopian student of Kolkata's Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), and recipient of the ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) African Scholarship. Produced by a fellow student, Sahil Manoj Ingle, this 23-min short features a multiracial, multinational team, including a Bangladeshi editor, Mahmud Abu Naser. It blends Yoruba and Bengali dialogues, and is about a Nigerian footballer in Kolkata, played by Ibrahim Ahmed -- a Nigerian footballer in Kolkata. It is, as Kokob told me in an interview on the eve of his Cannes premiere, 'a collective effort' and a truly international creation. In the film, Ibrahim plays Oluwaseyi, a youngster stranded in India after an injury stalled his dream of building a career in football. Battling loneliness, depression, financial deprivation and racism, Oluwaseyi finds solace in the arms of a woman (played by Geeta Doshi), who is haunted by her past. Kokob, grandson of a priest from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, brings his awareness of Christian imagery and African folklore to the film, in addition to his observations of Hindu iconography. Oluwaseyi is Christian. A painting of Jesus' mother, Mary, is given prominence, while the rosary is a constant presence. In his desperation to repair mind and body, Oluwaseyi turns to a healing tradition from his homeland, amalgamating it with a belief articulated by an elderly local who sculpts Durga idols - the common factor in both is faith in the power and divinity of clay. Indian filmmakers have often been guilty of stereotyping and exoticising people of Africa, on rare occasions when they have been represented on screen here. Sudani from Nigeria, a 2018 Malayalam hit directed by Zakariya Mohammed, is an uncommon example of Indian cinema featuring an important African character portrayed with empathy. That film was charming, but it steered clear of the racism prevalent in India. In A Doll Made Up of Clay, Kokob boldly addresses this truth despite his fondness for Kolkata, which he now calls 'my second home', and India, which he describes as 'the home of cinema'. He is conscious of the difference between his own experience of the country, as a light-complexioned African, in contrast with Ibrahim, whose black skin and Muslim name have made him the target of prejudice. His film, Kokob said, 'is 80% Ibrahim's story, and 20% fiction'. The overlap between the pain of an actual person and a scripted version of him is mirrored by cinematographer Vinod Kumar's frames capturing a desolate, muddied Kolkata, and the poignance conveyed by sound designer Soham Pal, along with music composer Himangshu Saikia. The film urges us to introspect, even while being a cause for celebration since it showcases SRFTI's - and India's - laudable effort to nurture and partner with global talent. 'At this time full of conflict,' Kokob told me, 'it's an awesome feeling that as people from four different countries, we have come together for art. The world is going through a hard time, but we have become one for cinema.' (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. What's slowing Indian IT's AI deals? The answer is hidden in just two words. Jolt to Çelebi could turn a big gain for this Indian firm that once had deep Turkish ties Nestlé India's outgoing CEO Narayanan weathered the Maggi storm; Tiwary must tackle slowing growth Uncle Sam vs. Microsoft: Which is a safer bet to park money? ONGC squandered its future once. Can it be different this time? Will revised economic capital framework lead to higher RBI dividend to govt? These large- and mid-cap stocks can give more than 30% return in 1 year, according to analysts Buy, Sell or Hold: Emkay Global upgrades SAIL to buy; YES Securities sees 13% upside in VA Tech Wabag Railways stocks: Time to be contrarian; will bearish analysts go wrong again? 6 stocks, 2 with buy recos, 4 with sell recos
India Today
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Satyajit Ray film institute student at Cannes La Cinef: Want to be voice for Africans
A filmmaking African student, a zero-budget film, a chance encounter with a footballer, who became the lead, and then an entry into Cannes' La Cinef selection - that's how a dream became reality for Kokob Gebrehaweria. The Ethiopian student from Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute is at Cannes 2025 with his film 'A Clay Made Up of Clay.' In an exclusive chat with India Today, he spoke about his struggles and how he wants to be a voice for Africans through his shared that it all started with a long-take exercise in college where he had to helm a project. "It was an important one, and as an African, I wanted to make a story about the people there. It was a tough challenge, but I also wanted to have an African actor. And one day, while I was out with a friend, I met this man from Nigeria, Ibrahim. We got talking, and I found out he was in Kolkata to play football. I narrated my idea to him, and while he was apprehensive, he decided to do it for fun," the filmmaker long take, centred on a genocide war, was completed and submitted to various film festivals - where it received praise. Over time, Kokob and Ibrahim developed a close friendship. Ibrahim later confided in him about the injury that ended his football aspirations, how he missed home, and how he was lured to India with false promises. Despite playing passionately, he was paid poorly per match and struggled financially. His heartbreaking story inspired Kokob to create a fictional film based on his journey — and that's how 'A Doll Made Up of Clay' was "As I am an international student too, I realised how much he was missing home. He also spoke about his love for football and his love for the city, which made him pick odd jobs to survive. The film is a documentary on his life, and so many more such people. We rehearsed for 15 days and then shot the film. Also, it was a no-budget film, and hence, friends and students from different departments came together to make it. The film is about a boy who sells his father's land to come to Kolkata to pursue professional football, but a tragic injury makes him quit the game. And because he has no money, he's stuck there," Kokob shared about the added that there were seniors and mentors who had earlier been to Cannes, who guided him to enter the competition. He shared that he completed the process himself, and got selected. The filmmaker shared, "I was stunned and excited when I got the news. I cannot express in words the joy of representing India at that prestigious stage. This country is also home to me, as I have spent three years without going back to Africa. I am also proud of the fact that I will take Ethiopia to Cannes. I am so thankful to everyone involved with this film... we could pull this off only because of our love for films."advertisementWhen asked if he's evaluated what it takes to be selected at Cannes, Kokob Gebrehaweria said that foremostly, one needs to have a voice, and a very strong one. "And then a rooted story.. It's that easy. A lot of the students are scared to apply, so I will tell them to do that without fear. It's not about being selected but giving yourself a chance. Make something that's personal and very rooted, something around folk tales," he director further spoke about his aspirations and his vision with his films: "Both my works have an African connection, and I plan to have more Indo-African stories. While there are a few footballers who manage to earn well and send money back home, most of them are exploited. But given the weather, they play only half a year, and get paid per match. The ones who cannot often get into addiction. They cannot get medical help and have no money, and because they do not even know the language, they are tragically stuck. Most of them have run away from home, sold their assets. I want to be their voice and tell their stories in the hope that some organisation can come forward and help them. I may not have the financial ability to do it myself, but being an African, I want to be there for them."Talking about the Cannes La Cinef, the filmmaker shared that while he's positive about the outcome, his heart is already filled with gratitude. He also shared that he is working on another short film and plans to make a feature soon. At the film festival, he not only wishes to be recognised but also plans to network and find international producers. The director shared that he also wants to collaborate with programmers, distributors for his future projects. Kokob Gebrehaweria also shared that since he is an international student, he did not get any funds for his Cannes visit as per the policy. An agency did aid, but it was his family that supported him to be there, apart from his teachers and fellow students.
Gulf Today
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Cannes 2025: India has a diverse slate
After the unprecedented high of 2024, the ongoing 78th Cannes Film Festival might feel like a bit of a dampener for India. The world's largest film-producing nation has no entry in the festival's main Competition this year. Its presence is, however, strong enough in terms of both films and personalities not to be dismissed as insignificant. From a restored print of a Satyajit Ray classic to a short film by an African student of a Kolkata film school named after the maestro, India has much on show at Cannes 2025. Payal Kapadia, who made history last year by winning the Grand Prix for her delectable debut narrative feature All We Imagine as Light, is a Competition juror this year. A Doll Made Up of Clay Kapadia is the seventh Indian woman and only the second South Asian female director to be a Cannes main Competition jury member after Mira Nair (1990), Arundhati Roy (2000), Aishwarya Rai (2003), Nandita Das (2005), Sharmila Tagore (2009) and Vidya Balan (2013). The 2025 Cannes jury, presided over by legendary French actress Juliette Binoche, includes actresses Halle Berry and Alba Rohrwacher, French-Moroccan writer Leila Slimani, filmmakers Hong Sangsoo, Carlos Reygadas and Dieudo Hamadi, and actor Jeremy Strong. India has a film in the festival's official selection — Neeraj Ghaywan's sophomore Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor and Vishal Jethwa. The Hindi film, produced, among others, by Karan Johar, is part of the festival's sidebar Un certain regard, a section that programs noteworthy films by directors endowed with distinctive cinematic voices. Ghaywan returns to Cannes a decade after his first film, Masaan, bagged a couple of Un certain regard prizes. Although he has not been particularly prolific, he has quickly established himself in the forefront of a new crop of Indian directors with a global standing. Homebound is about two friends from a north Indian village who, in search of dignity, pursue police jobs but their bonding is put under severe strain as their desperation mounts. A Doll Made Up of Clay India also has an official entry in La Cinef, a section introduced in Cannes to showcase the work of film school students. The 24-minute film, A Doll Made Up of Clay, is directed by Kokob Gebrehaweria Tesfay, an Ethiopian alumnus of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata. A Doll Made Up of Clay is about a young Nigerian man who sells his father's land and heads to India to play football. A serious injury stymies his dreams of making a career in the game. In order to heal from the setback, he takes recourse to the rituals of his ancestors. Elsewhere in the festival, two promising Indian directors, Nainital resident Diwa Shah and Sikkim's Tribeny Rai, are making emphatic and exciting early career moves. Diwa Shah, at the end of a four-and-a-half-month Cannes Film Festival-backed residency in Paris to work on the screenplay of her second feature, Kyab (Refuge), has won a writing grant from CNC, the French national centre for cinema and the moving image. In Kyab, Shah, who won the San Sebastian Film Festival's Kruxtabank New Directors Award in 2024 for her first film Bahadur — The Brave, turns her lens on the plight of third-generation Tibetan refugees in India. Tribeny Rai, an alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, is part of 'HAF Goes to Cannes'. The Hong Kong Asian Film Financing Forum (HAF) selection gives her a platform at the world's premiere film market to pitch her debut project, Shape of Momo, a work-in-progress Indo-Nepalese venture. Aranyer Din Ratri Rai's film centres on a woman who quits her job and returns to her family beset by the death of several male members. It focuses on women seeking to assert their autonomy and freedom in a hidebound patriarchal society. The Indian spectrum in Cannes this year is completed by a Cannes Classics selection of Satyajit Ray's 1970 film Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest). The film has been restored with the support of the Golden Globe Foundation with original camera and sound negatives preserved by producer Purnima Dutta of Kolkata's Priya Films. Aranyer Din Ratri, which competed in 1970 for the Golden Bear at the 20th Berlin Film Festival, marks the Mumbai-based Film Heritage Foundation's fourth film in a row in Cannes Classics following Ishanou in 2022, Thamp in 2023 and Manthan in 2024. Ray's continuing relevance as a word cinema master is underscored by the number of times his films have played in Cannes during his lifetime and since his death. In 2023, his Pratidwandi (The Adversary) was screened as part of Cannes Classics. His debut film, Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road), has been screened in Cannes as many as four times. Besides premiering in 1956, it had a Special Screening in 1992 (as a homage to the filmmaker who had passed away weeks earlier) and was screened in Directors Fortnight in 1995 (to mark the film's 40th anniversary) and in Cannes Classics in 2005 (to mark its 50th anniversary). Homebound Besides Pather Panchali, Ray had three titles in Cannes Competition — Parash Pathar (1958), Devi (1962) and Ghare Baire (1984) — besides Ganashatru (1989) in the Special Screenings section. In 2013, one his greatest films, Charulata, was screened in Cannes Classics. This year's Ray screening will be presented by American director Wes Anderson, an avowed admirer of the Bengali director. Anderson, who has a film in Competition (The Phoenician Scheme), made a nod to the 'memory game' in Aranyer Din Ratri in his Asteroid City (2023). Aranyer Din Ratri cast members Sharmila Tagore and Simi Garewal, besides producer Purnima Dutta will be in attendance during the screening.
NDTV
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
From Kolkata To Cannes: Kolkata-Based Student Film A Doll Made Of Clay Gets International Nod
Quick Take Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. A short film by SRFTI students is set for Cannes 2025 selection. Titled "A Doll Made Up of Clay," it features a Nigerian footballer. The film was directed by Ethiopian student Kokob Gebrehweria Tesfay. New Delhi: A short film, made by students of Kolkata's Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute (SRFTI), is making waves internationally – it is headed to the 78th Festival de Cannes 2025. The film, titled A Doll Made Up of Clay, has been selected for the prestigious La Cinef section, which showcases works by film school students from around the world. A Doll Made Up of Clay features a 23-year-old Nigerian footballer, Ahmed, who originally came to play seven-a-side games in the city – and somehow ended up in front of the camera as an actor. The movie has been written and directed by Kokob Gebrehweria Tesfay, an Ethiopian student at SRFTI and produced by Sahil Manoj Ingle. Executive Producer Uma Kumari said, "Coming from Rewari, a small town in Haryana, and now getting the opportunity to represent India on a global platform like Cannes feels like a dream. As a female Executive Producer, it's a proud moment — not just for me, but for every young dreamers from places where cinema isn't often seen as a career. Carrying the spirit of Haryana, and India with me, I'm excited to step onto the world stage and show that no dream is too far when you believe in it." A Doll Made Up of Clay was made under the institute's zero-budget programme. 'SRFTI provides us with the shooting location and the studios. I had to mobilise resources from within or outside the institute. That is the real challenge that we had to learn. It is a huge honour that the film made in this manner will be screened at Cannes,' shared producer Sahil Manoj Ingle, as quoted by the Times Of India. Kokob, who hails from Zalmbessa in Ethiopia's Tigray region, studied theatrical arts at Addis Ababa University before coming to India on a scholarship from the Indian Council of Cultural Research. He enrolled in SRFTI's direction and screenplay writing course and brought his documentary experience to this fictional project. 'I made a documentary on African footballers in Kolkata. As an African filmmaker, this story is very close to my heart. The film is inspired by the real-life experiences of these young men—a story of hope, identity, transformation, and survival. I had the privilege of being mentored by Putul Mahmood, Mehdi Jaan, and Siladitya Sanyal throughout this project,' he said. The lead role is played by Ahmed, a non-professional actor from the Yoruba ethnic group in Nigeria. 'Many African players come to Kolkata to play the seven-side or five-side games. We earn per match and that is what brings us here. I acted in primary school plays but never faced the camera before. When asked to act, I just played myself in front of the camera,' Ahmed shared. A Doll Made Up of Clay has a mix of Yoruba and Bengali languages and dives deep into the life of a young Nigerian player who sells his father's land to chase a football dream in India — only to have that dream crushed by a serious injury. Heartbroken and lost, he turns to his roots and ancestral rituals to heal and rediscover himself.
Hindustan Times
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
SRFTI students' film selected for La Cinef competitive section at 2025 Cannes Film Fest
New Delhi, A short film by students of Kolkata's prestigious Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute has been selected for La Cinef Competitive section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. "A Doll Made Up of Clay" is part of the 16 film lineup for the segment, which is dedicated to showcasing film school fiction or animated films. The official X handle of the SRFTI shared the news on Friday. "SRFTI is thrilled to announce that our short film 'A Doll Made Up of Clay', presented by the Department of Producing for Film & TV, has been OFFICIALLY SELECTED for the 78th Festival de Cannes 2025 in the prestigious La Cinef section! Huge congratulations to our talented students who made this achievement possible," the institute posted. "A Doll Made Up of Clay" is written and directed by Kokob Gebrehaweria Tesfay, an Ethiopian student currently pursuing direction & screenplay writing course from SRFTI. The film follows Oluwaseyi, a young Nigerian footballer, who after selling his father's land to chase a football career in India suffers a devastating injury that ends his dreams. Lost and desperate, he seeks escape through the healing power of his ancestral rituals, according to the official synopsis. In a statement, posted on his Instagram page, Tesfay said the film was inspired by the untold stories of African footballers living in India — navigating dreams, struggles, and resilience far from home. "Being selected as both writer and director, as an international student, is more than an achievement. It's a reflection of where I come from, the stories I carry, and the voices I strive to represent.. To everyone who stood beside me through the highs and the lows - thank you from the bottom of my heart," he said. The film is produced by Sahil Ingle with cinematography by Vinod Kumar. Editing is handled by Haru and Mahmud Abu Naser, while sound design and mixing are crafted by Soham Pal. The music for the film is composed by Himangshu Saikia. For the La Cinef segment, the organisers have selected 13 live-action and 3 animated films from 2,700 submissions by film schools worldwide. The La Cinef jury is headed by German writer-director Maren Ade and also includes American filmmaker Reinaldo Marcus Green, French singer-actor Camelia Jordana, Spanish producer Jose Maria Prado Garcia and Croatian filmmaker Nebojsa Slijepcevic. They will present the prizes during a ceremony preceding the screening of the winning films on May 22, at the Bunuel Theatre. The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will run from May 13 to 24.
