Hidden Gems Film Festival (HGFF) 2020

1. Bandit Queen (1994) 120 mins. Hindi/Assamese

   Sunday afternoon, January 26, 2020 @ 2:00 P.M.

   “Bandit Queen” is a biographical film based on the life of Phoolan Devi, an outlaw in the
   desolate ravines of northern India.  Both Phoolan Devi and Indian censors protested the release
   of the film, objecting to the unflinching realism of rape scenes directed by Shekhar Kapoor.
   Shekhar Kapoor gained international recognition and went on to direct two Elizabeth I movies.

2. Devrai (Sacred Grove) (2004) 108 mins. Marathi

   Sunday afternoon, February 23, 2020 @ 2:00 P.M.

   Hidden Gems screened “Kassav” (Turtle) about mental health in 2018 by this director duo, Sumitra
   Bhave and Sunil Sukhthankar.  “Devrai” depicts a man who suffers from schizophrenia and is
   struggling to come to terms with his illness and the frustration of his helpless sister.

3. Postponed due to the Coronavirus The Warrior (2001) 86 mins. Hindi

   Sunday afternoon, March 29, 2020 @ 2:00 P.M. –> October 2020 online

   “The Warrior” is the story of a fierce warrior who changes the direction of his life after a mystical visionary moment.  His cruel and vengeful employer, a warlord, is enraged:  “No one leaves my service.  Bring me his head by dawn.”  Now, the hunter has become the hunted.  Asif Kapadia, born and bred in the United Kingdom, directed his first feature film in India with an all Indian cast and a British crew.

4. kai po che (Brothers for Life) (2013) 126 mins. Hindi

   Sunday afternoon, April 26, 2020 @ 2:00 P.M. –> November 2020 online

   These were exciting times; a new millennium had dawned, a perfect time for three Gujarati boys
   to start a business that could be their ticket to fame in a country where cricket is akin to religion.  But
   their bromance is tested during the devastating earthquake in Gujarat in 2001, followed by the
   communal riots in 2002.

5. Jalsaghar (The Music Room) (1958) 100 mins. Bengali

   Sunday afternoon, August 30, 2020 @ 2:00 P.M. –> December 2020 online

   Satyajit Ray’s “Jalsaghar” is about an aristocrat whose funds are dwindling but who continues to
   spend money on lavish concerts in his music room.  The film has a l, Chekhovian tone of
   ironically tinged regret.  The music is by the inimitable Pandit Vilayat Khan.

For more information, please contact the Hidden Gems Film Festival (HGFF) at hiddengemsff@shaw.ca or niru@shaw.ca or (403) 457-3030.

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