KIFF Day 6

The screening of Sohini Dasgupta's debut film Choti Moti Baatein (Sweet Home) on Sunday morning saw mentor Buddhadeb Dasgupta and Aparna Sen in attendance.
The film, which is inspired by a real life incident where two unmarried sisters shut themselves up in their flat after their father's death, delves into the cocoon created by the sisters and how they start rediscovering space, time, relationships and themselves. Sohini, who has had a long stint as Buddhadeb Dasgutpa's assistant, was elated by the fantastic response her film has received.

“Seeing so many people coming to watch my film was an extremely joyous experience for me. Now, I plan to take it to different festivals,“ she said. However, Buddhadeb, who had come to the festival to watch Sohini's film after a long gap, refused to com ment on the film. “Let the viewers decide. I won't give my opinion on the film,“ he said. We learnt from the festi val committee that a repeat screening was being considered in view of the overwhelming response received by the film. Another source said that the film has been selected for the competition segment of the fest and was a strong contender.

Alessia Scarso -the director of the Italian film, Italo Boracco, which was screened at the fest on Sunday , said that she had always observed how pets influenced the behaviour of the owner family . This was the underlying concept behind her film.
In Pic: Eiena Radonicich & Alessia Scarso

“I've seen that pets can even influence the food habits of the family. So, in a world torn by war, violence and political unrest, I've tried to show how the loving acts of a pet dog can change human behaviour," Alessia said.
The film, which portrays the relationship between a stray dog, Italo, and its introverted 10-year-old adopter.

Another director who intera cted with the media was Maria Douza, whose Greek film, A Place Called Home, was screened at the fest on Sunday.The film deals with the relationship between a London-based professor and her estranged father, who lives in Greece, and how she returns to Greece, only to find that a lot of things have changed back home.

Director Sovan Tarafdar, whose film Selfie was scre ened as part of the Bengali Panorama at the fest on Monday , interacted with the media on Sunday along with lead actors Anindya Banerjee and Sohini Sarkar.
Speaking about the film, which also stars Soumitra Chatterjee as himself, Sovan said, “Selfies can be even more interesting if you can read the backdrop. Apart from the photographer, there are several other elements in most selfies. I've applied this very concept to my film."
In Picture: Mir and Soumitra Chattopadhyay shooting for Selfie

The film, which shows the complex relationship between a filmstar and a common man, portrays actor Soumitra Chatterjee as himself, while Anindya plays his namesake and a ventriloquist. It traces the common Soumitra's battle to create an identity of his own, despite the fame associated with his name.
Speaking about the film, Sohini said, “The film not only has an interesting name, but I actually loved working on the subject. I feel really blessed to part of new wave Bengali movies."
In Picture: Anindya Bannerjee, Sovan Tarafder & Sohini Sarkar

Academy Award winning director Megan Mylan's 10-minute documentary After My Garden Grows, was , screened at the fest on Sunday , following which she participated in an interactive session.
The docu, which focuses on forced early marriages in India, tells the story of Monika, a teenager from a village in Bengal's Coochbehar district, who starts a tiny rooftop garden to provide food to her family and earn her own financial independence.
A still from the docu

“Given the subject, the film has generated a lot of interest among government officials, who want to make it a part of the awareness campaign on the Sabla scheme. As for my Kolkata experience, I'd call it fantastic! I've been to many places for fests, but the response here is overwhelming," Megan said.
The documentary, which highlights the Bengal government's implementation of the Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls or Sabla, showcases how the protagonist resists her family's attempts to marry her off by attaining financial independence.
In Pic: Megan Mylan with the cast of her docu