Director: D. Prasad; Cinematographer: D. Prasad; Cast: Nanjundaiah, Bhargavi Narayanan, Madrira Sanju, Mamatha, Addanda C. Kariappa, Achiyanda Aiyappamaiyya, Chendanda Subbaiah, Chekkera Sushila Thyagaraj
Summary: Remarkable experimental debut feature in the
Kodava dialect from the Coorg region. Set on
the eve of Independence, the story covers the
night of 13 August 1947, showing a small group
of characters in the colonial tea plantation of
Chengappa (Nanjundaiah) and his wife. When
a British flag is replaced by an Indian one, a
police raid ensues. The main story tells of the
servant Ponnu (Sanju), his relationship with his
employers and with the suffering Kaveri
(Mamatha). The most extraordinary aspect of
the film is its camerawork with extended
sequence shots, often lasting for 10mins,
underscoring the elegaic minimalism of
performance and narrative style. The day
dawns and with it independence, but the
promised utopia is accompanied by the news
that Kaveri has been killed by her husband.
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