Latest news with #VillageRockstars
New Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Why filmmakers can't do without Cannes
I first met independent Assamese filmmaker Rima Das in 2017 at the Marché du Film or Cannes Film Market, when her second feature, Village Rockstars, was featured in the 'HAF Goes To Cannes' initiative. Having been part of the Work In Progress Lab of Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), it had made its way to the market's prestigious platform which provided Das the opportunity to look for post-production funds and pitch to sales agents and other festivals. Goes To Cannes, one of the tailor-made official programmes at the Cannes Film Market, aims to discover promising, new-generation talents through their works-in-progress, selected and curated by partner festivals like the HAF. Thanks to it, not only did Das get a great mentor in the famous editor, Jacques Comets, who guided her with the first cut of Village Rockstars, but found the world opening its door for her modest indie. About a free-spirited and rebellious 10-year-old village girl Dhunu who dreams of owning a guitar and makes herself Styrofoam one till she gets a real one, the film played at hundreds of international festivals thanks to the initial exposure at Cannes. At Toronto and San Sebastian, it was the first film from Northeast India to be featured in the official selection. It won the National Award for the best film in 2018 and went on to represent India at the Oscars. This year, the debut feature of Tribeny Rai—a Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute graduate—Shape of Momo was showcased under the same section. Rai is from Sikkim and her Nepali-language film is set in her home state. She was looking for gap-financing, post-production funds and interactions with sales agents and festival programmers. Whether Shape of Momo will also follow the same trajectory of success as Das's film can't quite be predicted. But what's amply clear is the significance of the market for independent Indian filmmakers trying to strike their own course in the international arena, away from the claptrap and constraints of commercial Indian cinema.
Indian Express
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Express Film Club by SCREEN hosts screening of Rima Das's Village Rockstars 2; audience calls it ‘life-like' and deeply relevant
National Award-winning filmmaker Rima Das, known for carving a distinct space in Indian indie cinema with films like Village Rockstars, Bulbul Can Sing and Tora's Husband, continues to shine on the global festival circuit with her latest — Village Rockstars 2. The sequel to her acclaimed 2017 film was screened this week at Express Film Club by SCREEN, where the event was held at India Habitat Centre, Delhi. The evening began with film critic Shubhra Gupta introducing the film to the audience. Gupta lauded Rima Das as a true auteur — someone who writes, directs, shoots, edits, and even handles production design herself. 'She's practically a one-woman crew,' Gupta said, adding that the sequel is not just a coming-of-age tale, but also an ethnographic exploration of the land and community Rima belongs to. Following the screening, Gupta moderated a discussion with the audience, many of whom were visibly moved. One viewer, impressed by the film's striking visual language, asked about the near-invisible camera presence in the narrative. 'That's the magic of Rima's cinema,' Gupta responded. 'Her framing is so organic that you forget you're watching a constructed film.' The crowd included several Assamese viewers who praised the film for its deeply rooted and authentic portrayal of Assam. 'It felt like a painting, a reflection of our home,' said one audience member. Another viewer appreciated how the film tackled pressing issues like illegal land acquisition and deforestation, effortlessly weaving them into the story. The audience included several Assamese viewers who lauded the film for its authentic and heartfelt portrayal of their homeland. Village Rockstars 2 picks up where the original left off. Dhunu, the spirited protagonist from the first film, is now an adolescent facing a harsher world — her land under threat from a corrupt broker, her mother ailing, and her own dreams of music still flickering amid mounting challenges. The film, shot in Rima's signature intimate style, continues to explore themes of resilience, community, and identity. While the Indian release date for the film is yet to be announced, the Delhi audience was grateful for the early screening. Several attendees praised Express Film Club for consistently championing meaningful cinema that resonates with contemporary issues.
