India / 2024 / 124 min / English / Coming-of-Age Drama
Radha, 12, is surrounded by family, and an emphasis on education which shapes her every day. She has little contact with Sundar, a servant boy who helps her a life of privilege. Sundar runs away and when she meets him years later, Radha considers that he may be freer than she is. Now in her 30s, in modern India, served again-this time by Umesh, she thinks of Sundar and seeks him out.
The Umesh Chronicles is a map of the past and a sketch for the future.
One of the most beautiful films of FLIFF39.
DIRECTOR: Pooja Kaul is a writer and director whose work explores urban life. Her films Rasikan Re (O Lover of Life, 33 mins, Hindi and English) and Winter Trail (11 min) have been seen worldwide. Her work examines contemporary Indian society in the light of its richly developed past, finding parallel textures and sensibilities, forging connections between past and the present.
DIRECTOR STATEMENT: I made The Umesh Chronicles to tell the story of a woman, a country and the current zeitgeist. I wanted to make a film which functions as a map of the past and a blueprint for the future.
Contact: pooja_kaul@yahoo.com
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