Workers' Film Festival, Chennai

Workers’ Film Festival, Chennai 

28 May / 11 am to 7 pm

Curated by Amudhan R.P.

Organised by Pattali Padippu Vattam 

Schedule 

11 am : Inauguration 

11.30 am to 12.45 pm 

Glass (Dir : Bert Haanstra; 10.30 min; No Dialogue; 1958)

In Glass, we see the art of glassblowing as a rhythmical play between hot glass and the precise timing of a craftsman. A complicated, dexterous ballet demonstrates the art of traditional glassblowing. This contrasts with the bigger glassworks, where everything is well-ordered. 

Sweet Biryani (Dir : Jeyachandra Hashmi; 24 min; Tamil; 2021)

Sweet Biriyani, a simple yet powerful film that deals with a delivery boy and his soulful experiences in a day.

The Last Run (Dir : Anirban Dutta; 36 min; Bengali with English subtitles; 2019)

A glorious past withering away in a fast-changing world – The film is about a Postal Runner, a person who runs or walks from one place to another carrying mail bags. The runner used to be held in high regard with tales of his valour coming to life in the myths and folk forms of the land. With improvements in modes of communication, the runner's profession has become almost redundant.

12.45 Interaction 

1.15 pm  Lunch break

2 pm to 4 pm

Waiting (Dir: Amudhan R.P.; 7 min; Tamil; 2022)

Hundreds of migrant workers assemble every morning near a roadside in Thrissur, Kerala to be picked up by potential Masters who would give them a job for a day or two. The film shows a glimpse of such a Waiting. 

Zelam (Dir: Pratim Waghmare; 19 min; Marathi with English subtitles; 2022)

A country boy with humble beginnings migrates to the city with the dream to make a decent living. He also wants to save enough money to bail out his father, who is being wrongfully held by prejudiced police officers. He overcomes multiple hardships but unforeseen circumstances halt his plans.

You Want Company (Dir: Mehak Matharu; 19 min; Hindi & English with English subtitles; 2022)

This film is a portrait of a young woman, who has moved from Assam to Bangalore to make a living.

Shimga (Dir: Sanat Ganu; 17 min; Marathi with English subtitles; 2022)

Shimga, the film, explores various layers of alienation between the privileged and the underprivileged. In the current times, the two economic classes seem to be separated by such a chasm that they struggle to understand each other's language, let alone empathise with one another.

Footprints (Dir: Tathagatha Ghosh; 23.28 min; Bengali with English subtitles; 2022)

Pampa, a single mother and a lower caste slum dweller, works as domestic help for a dysfunctional middle class family. As her world comes crashing down at work one day, Pampa must stand up for herself by blurring the lines between the master and the maid.

Rat Trap (Dir: Rupresh Sahu; 35 min; Hindi with English subtitles; 2022)

It is a film about the rat-hole coal miners who risk their lives to earn a livelihood. While doing this activity, many mishaps go unreported, which we cannot see from the outside. Their lives are devastating enough that they are called thieves in their own house, and during a case of mine collapse, they cannot even shed a tear or claim their loved ones’body. This film narrates their daily life.

4 pm : Interaction 

4.30 pm : Tea break

4.45 : The Factory (Dir : Rahul Roy; 2 hours; Hindi with English subtitles; 2015)

147 workers of India’s biggest automobile manufacturing company Maruti Suzuki are on trial for the murder of a senior manager and 2500 workers dismissed. It has been two and a half years and the case drags on. Their bail application has been rejected by the courts. On each hearing they are led to the court room by the police while families line up to catch a glimpse. The defence lawyers plan their strategy in the court canteen. Justice seems a dim hope. The film follows the fate of the under trial workers, families and dismissed workers to investigate the underbelly of industrial conflict and the elusive nature of justice.

6.45 pm : Interaction