A Rifle and a Bag
Fall Grants 2019 - Post-Production Stage
Cristina Hanes, Arya Rothe, Isabella Rinaldi / Feature Documentary / India, Romania, Italy, Qatar / 89 min / Original Language: Gondi, Hindi, Madia
Synopsis
Somi and her husband Sukhram met and fell in love while fighting in the Naxalite commando, the Maoist guerrilla that has been fighting since the 1960s for the rights of the tribal communities of India. A few years ago, they deserted the movement and surrendered in front of the police. They live in a settlement they built with other former comrades, but their social status as surrendered Naxalites is compromising the future of their two children. They want to give their children the best education possible, but that comes with high risks. The film shows their attempt to escape this dead-end while exploring their controversial past.
Credits
- Director
- Cristina Hanes, Isabella Rinaldi, Arya Rothe
- Screenwriter
- Cristina Hanes, Isabella Rinaldi, Arya Rothe
- Producer
- Cristina Hanes, Isabella Rinaldi, Arya Rothe
About the Director
Cristina Hanes is a Romanian filmmaker. Her film ‘António e Catarina’ won the Pardino D’oro Award for Best International Short in Pardi di Domani at Locarno Festival in 2017, and was screened in over 20 film festivals around the world. She is an alumna of DocNomads (2016) and Aristoteles Workshop (2013). She completed her BA in Cinematography in 2013 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Arya Rothe is an independent filmmaker from Pune, India. She graduated in 2016 from DocNomads. Before DocNomads, she studied at FAMU - National Film School of the Czech Republic. Her short film, ‘Daughter’s Mother’ (2018) had its world premiere at 61st Dok Leipzig Film Festival.
Isabella Rinaldi is an independent filmmaker based in Rome, Italy. She graduated DocNomads after getting her Bachelor Degree in Film Studies at the Sapienza University of Rome. She is currently directing one episode of the documentary series ‘Borderline’ produced by Off World from Belgium.