Projects in genres: Asian

Synopsis

What price do the farmers of Punjab pay for the rice on our plate? The north Indian state of Punjab was said to have produced enough food to feed the entire country during the Green Revolution. However, the overuse of chemicals introduced to enhance production poisoned the water with carcinogens and created an infertile soil addicted to chemicals. Just as the land is dependent, so are more and more farmers becoming addicted to drugs, which help them to work longer hours in the fields. The expense of the chemicals and drugs forces farmers to take loans from 'Arthis', the rich middlemen who increase their interest rates without warning. Over 50,000 farmers have committed suicide in the last ten years, by drinking the toxic chemicals that are murdering Punjabi soil.

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The story of Diva – a fading superstar preparing for a comeback performance at the 2065 'eSports Olympics' – and Geo, an AI with artistic yearnings. Set in a smoke-and-mirrors realm of fantastical architecture, sentient drones and snow-deluged jungles, AIDOL revolves around the long and complex struggle between humanity and Artificial Intelligence. Fame – in all its allure and emptiness – is set against the bigger contradictions of a post-AI world, a world where originality is sometimes no more than an algorithmic trick and where machines have the capacity for love and suffering. Contemporary anxieties and fixations – the rise of AI, the formulaic dictates of celebrity, the hegemony of technological giants – are refracted through a quixotic prism. AIDOL is accompanied by a score composed and orchestrated by the artist.

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An immigrant Iranian news anchor works for a Persian TV channel in UK. His nude pictures are going viral on social media and he is trying to remove them.

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A journey of relationships between women. When society refuses to hear them, the Birangona, heroines of the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh, hold closely to tell their stories to each other and the next generation to understand their identity. To never forget how as women they have refused to be diminished as they have tried to heal and overcome the ravages of conflict, violence and prejudice. To create the future with the power of unconditional love.

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After a traumatic stillbirth, a woman starts to believe the ground below her apartment becomes pregnant.

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Female sumo wrestling champion Hiyori confronts obstacles both inside and outside the ring in an attempt to change Japan's national sport forever. Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival 2019 - International premiere

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Nestled between a beautiful lake and the Himalayas, Ashmina, 13, lives with her family at the outskirts of Pokhara Nepal, paragliding capital of the world. The remote and traditional town is also a busy tourist destination where the locals are profoundly affected by the swarms of tourists who visit it daily. Forced to skip school, Ashmina helps her family make ends meet by working at the landing field, packing the parachutes of foreign pilots in return of small change. Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2018 - World premiere

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A Mongolian coming-of-age drama featuring seven original music tracks recorded live on set... Up on the vast Mongolian grasslands, Ulaanbaatar city stands as an island of tightly packed humanity. The constant noise and energy crushes OD’s spirit; causing him to escape onto rooftops or out to the peaceful steppe. He’s the singer of a successful band but grows tired of playing in bars. After an altercation with a drunk he turns his back on his band-mates and music. At a new job translating for corrupt politicians Od meets GEGEE. Her name means ‘brightness’ and she shines a light on the true, deeper meaning of Mongolian music. They begin creating a new musical style together and when Gegee suggests they play a small concert, Od reluctantly agrees. However, his depression resurfaces and he flees to the countryside leaving Gegee to play solo. Angered at the betrayal Gegee joins up with Od’s old band-mates. At rock-bottom, Od is reminded of a traditional Mongolian ‘long-song’ Gegee’s mother had sung for him. It’s meaning sparks a light in his heart to reconnect with Gegee. And together they will sing up on the hill.

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Zahida Kazmi is the first female taxidriver in Pakistan and a local legend. Independent, feisty and street-wise, she is a master hustler. Twice a widower and 56 years old, she is fighting to make a living on the dusty roads of Rawalpindi. Also a mother to 7 year old Zara, she is continually juggles her home life with behind the wheel. Reciting beautiful poetry in nostalgic moments off the road, Zahida reflects on her fate. Zahida is a fascinating insight into the trials faced by a determined woman carving her own path within a patriarchal society.

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An exploration of the term Deva meaning god, heavenly supernatural being as seen through the relationship between a mixed race british black and indian couple Dev and Sarah displaying the rhythmic flow of reality and dream states as shown through a surreal pre wedding dance rehearsal.

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The story of a group of children born in the High Himalayas of Nepal - a remote area of great natural beauty but where life is extremely tough. From just four years old, some children are sent by their parents to the capital city, Kathmandu, to a school run by a Buddhist monk in the hope that education will give them a better chance in life. For ten years or more they do not see or speak to their parents, due to the remoteness of their villages. Now, upon graduation, aged 16, the children are making the trek home: an arduous and lengthy journey across mountains that takes them to the highest inhabited place on the planet; a faraway, off-grid land where the way of life has not changed for thousands of years, and where their parents are waiting to see children brought up in a world of mobile phones, social media and most modern conveniences. And then the earthquake strikes. This film documents the children and their families' scary, moving, funny and humbling stories.

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Omar and Pete are half brothers. When their parents are eaten by lions they embark on a journey to find Omar’s real father. What follows is a funny, heart-warming journey of self-discovery for both boys…in Blackpool. The Choudray family represents a truly contemporary example of modern multicultural Britain – but what will the brother’s make of their eccentric newfound family? Will they be going to Mecca or Mecca bingo? In contrast to some old-fashioned stereotypes about Blackpool, this comedy is sharp, current and non-stop. Official Selection Edinburgh International Film Festival 2018 - World premiere