Kyatha (12) lives with his sister Déveeri in a slum district on the edge of an Indian city. He lives amid the chaos and poverty, in a world of badly lit slum dwellings, drought-stricken water pumps and filthy streets. But it is his world, and as a child he is still able to see its beautiful side, for the power and zest for life of the people around him. Slowly but surely Kyatha however also sees a different side and the world loses its naturalness. He does not understand what his sister does when she goes out at night, at his school donations turn out to be more important than teaching and the elections are dominated by bribery. When Kyatha finds out that his sister works as a prostitute, he loses his only security.In her début film, the young director Lankesh manages to move without resorting to melodrama. The loose narrative structure meshes with the perspective that is entirely that of the boy. The film is a portrait of the underbelly of society, in which the life of ordinary people is dominated by the power of money and the hypocrisy of politics. In addition, the director intimately sketches the dreams, fantasies and willpower of these people.
Film details
- Country of production
- India
- Year
- 1999
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2001
- Length
- 105"
- Medium/Format
- 35mm
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