'The Brittle Thread' to premiere at Tokyo International Film Festival
Indian filmmaker Ritesh Sharma's feature directorial debut The Brittle Thread (Jhini Bini Chadariya) is set to have its world premiere at the 34th Tokyo International Film Festival, the makers announced on Tuesday. The trilingual drama - Hindi, English, and Hebrew - will be screened in the Asian Future Section at the 10-day movie gala, to be held from October 30 through November 8.
Film follows the story of street dancer and handloom weaver
Set in Sharma's hometown Varanasi, The Brittle Thread follows the story of street dancer Rani (Megha Mathur) and handloom weaver Shahdab (Muzaffar Khan), who are both fighting the hardships of life in the bustling Uttar Pradesh city.
What does the synopsis of the film say?
The film's synopsis reads: "Headstrong, feisty street dancer Rani works hard to take care of her daughter while reclusive weaver Shahdab discovers a new world in his friendship with an Israeli tourist." "Exploring the love and hate dimensions in the ancient city of Varanasi, their cultural and political identities come to the fore," the synopsis reads.
There is so much more to Varanasi than pilgrimages: Sharma
"Will the luminous fabric of our diversity soon turn into an iron curtain, dividing those who seem to belong and those who don't?" the synopsis further read. Sharma, known for his documentary film The Holy Wives (2010) about caste-based sexual exploitation and human trafficking in India, said growing up in Varanasi he realized that there was much more to the city than holy pilgrimages.
Mystic poet Kabir's poem helped weave film's fabric: Sharma
Sharma said it was mystic poet Kabir's Jhini Bini Chadariya that helped him weave the fabric of this film. "It became a powerful metaphor of how people are interconnected and how life is always in the process of weaving itself," Sharma said. The filmmaker, who spent 13 years in theater education and social activism has also penned the screenplay and dialogues for the film.
Sharma was awarded the Changeloom Award in 2008
He was awarded the Changeloom Award in 2008, an honor for his active participation in various social issues. In 2014, Sharma directed another documentary movie Rainbows are Real and has released two short films on tribal rights and domestic violence.
Film festival will open with Japanese premiere of 'Cry Macho'
The Brittle Thread, a 97 minute, four-second-long film, also stars Sivan Spector, Utkarsh Srivastava, Roopa Chaurasiya, Nishant Kumar, Shweta Nagar, and Syed Iqbal Ahmed. It is produced by Hardhyaan Films and co-produced by Veda Film Factory. The film festival will open with the Japanese premiere of Cry Macho, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, and close with Stephen Chbosky's Dear Evan Hansen.
