‘Mee Raqsam’ to Open SAFF Montréal, Festival to Pay Tribute to Satyajit Ray

South Asian Film Festival of Montréal to pay tribute to Ray for his centenary. Sheer Qorma and Baaram to feature.

Mee Raqsam to Open SAFF Montréal.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Baba Azmi directorial Mee Raqsam (2020), starring Naseeruddin Shah, Aditi Subedi, and Danish Husain, will open the 11th edition of the South Asian Film Festival of Montréal (SAFFM).

The upcoming edition of SAFFM, the only South Asian film festival in Quebec, will be held in a hybrid format, both in cinemas and online, from 19 to 28 November, along with live Q&As from across the world. It will host 54 award-winning short, long, documentary and feature selections from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, Iran, South Korea, Canada and the US.

The films will be presented in their original version with English and French subtitles to choose from. Most films are available for free, including the opening night at Cineplex Forum.

This year, SAFFM will pay tribute to the legendary Satyajit Ray, on the occasion of his centenary. At the same time, the festival will also present films from a neighbouring South Asian country, with a spotlight on Iran. It will pay homage to Shahin Parhami, the Iranian-Canadian filmmaker from Montréal, who passed away earlier this year.

Talking about this year’s edition of SAFF, the festival director Syeda Bukhari said, "I would like to reach as many minority language communities of South Asia as possible for even more inclusiveness. At the same time, I would like SAFF Montréal to be presented in different parts of the province in an effort to widen cultural connections."

There is a need to understand and celebrate the cultural history and diversity of the region, which encompasses various ethnic groups, cultures and languages, with people practising almost all major religions,” she added.

TK Raghunathan, president of SAFF Montréal, expressed his happiness over the festival’s physical presence. “It is an exhilarating feeling to have a live audience and to (safely) interact with them,” he said.

Here are the Indian films featuring at the festival.

Mee Raqsam

The film, opening the festival, is produced by actor Shabana Azmi, directed by her brother Baba Azmi and is a tribute to their late father Kaifi Azmi. Starring Danish Husain, Aditi Subedi, and Naseeruddin Shah, it tells a story of a Muslim girl who wants to pursue her deep love for Bharatanatyam and is supported by her father against the community. Mee Raqsam will be available to view on 19 November.

Baaram

Priya Krishnaswamy's National award-winning Tamil film Baaram will be screened on 25 November. The film talks about the criminal practice of Thalaikoothal, otherwise referred to as parricide—the killing of a parent or other near relative; here, a son chooses mercy killing over medical treatment.

Professor Shanku O El Dorado

Sandip Ray's Professor Shonku O El Dorado.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Professor Shonku O El Dorado is a Bengali science fiction drama film directed by Sandip Ray based on Nakur Babu O El Dorado— genius scientist and inventor—a story of Satyajit Ray.

Sheer Qorma

Faraz Arif Ansari's Sheer Qorma. 

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Written and directed by Faraz Arif Ansari, it is a romantic short film drama, starring Swara Bhasker and Divya Dutta, about a woman and a non-binary person in love with each other. It is a story of belonging and acceptance, and identity.

Emergence: Out of the Shadows

Directed by Vinay Giridhar, the film is about awakening to and expressing sexuality within conservative South Asian families, often a lonely experience.