Film/Stage
Kush, an Award-Winning Film on New Delhi's 1984 Anti-Sikh Pogrom, to be Showcased in Venice International Film Festival
SHWETA PARANDE, et al
Student director Shubhashish Bhutiani's film, Kush, is all set to be screened at the 70th Venice International Film Festival which, as one of the world's most prestigious film forums, will be held from August 28 to September 7, 2013.
Kush - The Film is India's lone entry to Venice Festival's 2013 lineup. The 20-minute film will be screened in the Orizzonti section of the festival which is dedicated to new trends in world cinema. There are nine other films in this section.
No Indian feature has made it to either the Orizzonti or Competition or Out of Competition, which are the festival’s official categories.
In May this year Kush premiered at the School of Visual Arts’ Dusty Film & Animation Festival in New York. It went on to win awards for Outstanding Film, Outstanding Achievement in Directing and Outstanding Achievement in Editing at the fest.
“Kush” stars Sonika Chopra, Shayaan Sameer and Anil Sharma. Bhutiani made the film for his graduation project at New York’s School of Visual Arts. He was inspired by a true story that occurred in New Delhi in 1984 during the anti-Sikh pogroms in which thousands of innocent Sikhs -- men, women and children -- were murdered in broad daylight by roving Hindu mobs on the streets of the nations capital while the police and the military either stood by or aided and abetted the mobs.
Bhutiani’s film depicts how a teacher struggles to protect a student -- a Sikh boy, Kush -- from the mass-murderers.
The Venice Film Festival, also acknowledged as the world’s oldest such event, is organised by La Biennale di Venezia.
George Clooney and Sandra Bullock’s Gravity will be the opening film at Venice this year.
But we’re cheering for Kush. Aren’t you?
[Courtesy: Bollywood Life, and other news reports. Edited by sikhchic.com.]
July 27, 2013
Conversation about this article
1: Pritpal Singh (New Delhi, India ), July 27, 2013, 2:35 PM.
I would like very much to get a copy of this film or the link where to go to see or buy it.
2: Dr Pargat Singh (Nottingham, United Kingdom), July 27, 2013, 3:51 PM.
It's a noble cause. Every opportunity should be taken to highlight these atrocities to the world's media.
3: Harpreet (Canada), July 29, 2013, 4:50 PM.
I would like to watch the movie.