AUB South Indian Film Festival Schedule

SUTTA KADHAI (STOLEN STORY) | OUTSIDE-INDIA PREMIERE Tamil with English Subtitles | 105 minutes | Dir. Subu | Courtesy of Libra Productions Two bumbling village policemen, one a kleptomaniac and the other with a hearing impairment, investigate the murder of the head of a local tribe. Part of a new wave of dark com- edies, the surreal Sutta Kadhai is a prime example of young directors’ desire to break away from the Tamil mainstream.

SHOWING 11.30AM | FRI 6TH JUNE | ARTS UNIVERSITY BOURNEMOUTH CAMPUS | FILM FOLLOWED BY SKYPE Q&A WITH CREW

VIDYUM MUNN (BEFORE DAWN) | UK PREMIERE Tamil with English Subtitles | 130 minutes | Dir. Balaji K. Kumar Courtesy of AP International Shining a light on the often neglected issue of sex work in India, a prostitute attempts to rescue a 12 year old girl from a life of slavery and abuse. An American national who stud- ied in New York, this is director Balaji K. Kumar’s first feature after working as a storyboard artist for big name advertising brands. His inherent flair for visual language made this film the critical darling of 2013. Noteable critic Baradwaj Rangan noted that “mercifully, the main characters’ plights aren’t used an excuse to lecture us. The director understands that it’s not his job to be stuffing out heads with explicit messag- es. He makes us think. He makes us feel.”

SHOWING 14.30PM | FRI 6TH JUNE | ARTS UNIVERSITY BOURNEMOUTH CAMPUS | FILM FOLLOWED BY SKYPE Q&A WITH LEADING DISTRIBUTOR AUB South Indian Film Festival Schedule

NEETHAANE EN PONVASANTHAM (YOU ARE MY GOLDEN SPRING) EUROPEAN SUBTITLED PREMIERE Tamil with English Subtitles | 155 minutes | Dir. Gautam Menon Starring Jiiva, Samantha Prabhu | Courtesy of AP International

A cult-classic, closest in spirit to an Indian Blue Valentine, this cult classic depicts a modern romance with all its pitfalls; arguments, guilt tripping, ego clashes and obsession. Gau- tam Menon is one of the rare Indian directors whose female characters are truly three dimensional, and lead actress Sa- mantha Prabhu swept the board at all the main South Indian awards for her performance as the strong-willed and emo- tionally independent Nithya. Neethaane En Ponvasantham is a refreshing look at the values of India’s young middle classes scored by the legendary Illaiyaraja, widely regarded as the predecessor to the Oscar-winning A.R. Rahman.

SHOWING 18.15PM | FRI 6TH JUNE | WINTON LIFE CENTRE (TBC) | FILM FOLLOWED BY SKYPE Q&A WITH DIRECTOR GAUTAM MENON

MUDHAL MUDHAL MUDHAL VARAI (THE VERY FIRST TIME) EUROPEAN PREMIERE Tamil with English Subtitles | 140 minutes | Dir. Krishnan Seshadri Gomatam| Courtesy of the director This quirky low budget coming-of-age comedy tracks the highs and lows in the life of a young director constantly fac- ing failure and rejection in the regressive Indian film industry. Unreleased in India but acclaimed at international festivals, this irreverent film frequently breaks the fourth wall; as the film moves toward its final third, the wannabe filmmaker realises his own story is without a climax!

SHOWING 11.30AM | SAT 7TH JUNE | ARTS UNIVERSITY BOURNEMOUTH CAMPUS | FILM FOLLOWED BY SKYPE Q&A WITH DIRECTOR AUB South Indian Film Festival Schedule

NEERPARAVAI (SEABIRD) | UK PREMIERE Tamil with English Subtitles | 140 minutes | Dir. Seenu Ramasamy Starring Nandita Das | Courtesy of KT Balasubramaniem & Red Giant Film

With huge potential to become a crossover hit, Neerparavai is set amongst the Catholic fishing communities of India’s southernmost coastline. It’s carefully crafted characters face poverty, alcoholism and death, sailing in politically unstable Sri Lankan waters everyday to earn their living. A truly ele- gant film, we see the reality of India’s common man, with all the hallmarks of popular Indian cinema left intact. Featuring Cannes jury member and International Women’s Forum rep- resentative Nandita Das.

SHOWING 19.30PM | SAT 7TH JUNE ODEON BOURNEMOUTH

NERAM (TIME) | EUROPEAN PREMIERE with English Subtitles | 110 minutes | Dir. Aplhonse Putharen Starring Nazriya, | Courtesy of AP International

Visually exciting, youthful and shot entirely on DSLR cameras, this tense yet hilarious thriller follows an important day in the life of an average young man in , where everything that possibly could, goes wrong. Taking influence from virtu- oso Hollywood directors like Tarantino, this brisk and creative film featuring Malayalam cinema’s hottest new acting talent has a tight and confident script, and refreshed audiences in India with its simple creativity, while remaining ridiculously entertaining.

SHOWING 11.00AM | SUN 8TH JUNE ODEON BOURNEMOUTH | FILM FOLLOWED BY SKYPE Q&A WITH SUPERSTAR NAZRIYA NAZIM