11th edition of CinéMasala – 2023
Delhi, streets, lives
When? From Thursday 9 November to Saturday 11 November.
Where? Pôle Sud
Address: Av. Jean-Jacques Mercier 3 I 1003 Lausanne
Website: https://polesud.ch/
Film times: Thursday, 7 pm; Friday, 7 pm; Saturday, 8 pm; doors open (with snack), 1 hour before.
Thursday 9 November
7pm, Pôle Sud
All That Breathes
Documentary by Shaunak Sen, India, United Kingdom, United States, legal age 8 years, recommended age 14 years – Original version with French subtitles – 91′
Summary
In one of the world’s most populous cities, Delhi, two brothers, Nadeem and Saud, devote their lives to protecting the black kite, a majestic bird of prey typical of the city’s ecosystem. The black kite population is suffering from pollution and is declining at an alarming rate. Between environmental toxicity and social and religious unrest, the “kite brothers” work day and night to care for their protégés in their basement. The director explores the links between the kite birds and the brothers who help them return to the skies, offering a fascinating chronicle of coexistence between species in the urban environment of Delhi.
Website: https://www.allthatbreathes.com/
Friday 10 November
7 PM, Pôle Sud
Taking the Horse to Eat Jalebis
Film by Anamika Haksar, India, legal age 8 years, recommended age 14 years – Original version with French subtitles – 121′
Summary
The film follows four main characters: a pickpocket, a sweet and savoury snack seller, a labour activist and a heritage walk leader. We see old Delhi through their eyes – their lives, their hopes, their aspirations, their dreams – and we hear it through their different languages and dialects. The film does not move in a linear fashion. It moves like homeless and migrant communities from minute to minute, adapting its space and structure to each ongoing event. Dreams and realities mix to form a magical and exciting realism.
Saturday 11 November
8 PM, Pôle Sud (Gate opens at 7 PM)
Eeb Allay Ooo!
Film by Prateek Vats, India, legal age 8 years, recommended age 14 years – Original version with French subtitles – 97
Summary
Freshly arrived in Delhi, Anjani is given the task of removing monkeys from certain public buildings in the city. Associated with the god Hanuman, the monkeys are proliferating to the point of posing a problem to public order. Aware of the absurdity of his role, Anjani shows tenacity and creativity, disguising himself as a langur to scare off the primates. By following the struggles and journey of its main protagonist (Shardul Bharadwaj), the film offers a mirror in which to reflect social issues and, more generally, the absurdity of the human condition.