Sexy Durga director Sanal Sasidharan’s Chola has been selected for the 76th Venice Film Festival, which runs from 28 August to 7 September. The film will be showcased as part of Horizons, which runs parallel to the main competition category, and is the only Indian film among the 19 international productions in this section.
The Malayalam film, whose English title is Shadow of Water, has been produced by Shaji Mathew and stars Nimisha Sajayan and Joju George. The thriller is about two teenagers who run away to visit a big city but end up having to spend the night in a motel where things go awry, and reportedly explores themes of power, politics and feminine identity.
Watch a clip from the film here:
Sasidharan is best known for his 2017 film Sexy Durga, now titled S Durga, which was awarded the Tiger Award at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam.
Actor and filmmaker Gitanjali Rao’s animated feature, Bombay Rose, will also see its world premiere as the opening film of the Critics Week at the Venice International Film Festival. It is the first Indian animation film ever to have been selected to open this category. Bombay Rose is the story of a flower seller who has to make the choice between protecting her family or allowing herself to fall in love. The film has been produced by Anand Mahindra and Rohit Khattar of Cinestaan Film Company and Film d’Ici.
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