ABU, SON OF ADAM

(Aadaminte Makan Abu)

India | Dir: Salim Ahamed

Canadian Premiere

Tue. Oct 2, 6:20 pm, Granville 3
Wed. Oct 3, 3:00 pm, Granville 3
Sat. Oct 6, 3:00 pm, Granville 3

Entering his autumn years, Abu is determined to make the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and is willing to sacrifice everything to do so. Salim Ahamed’s celebrated debut "balances measured investigation of the Islamic faith with broader concerns of mortality and community."—Variety. Winner, Best Film, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Music, Indian National Film Awards 2011.

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ALL IN GOOD TIME

UK | Dir: Nigel Cole

Related Links: Trailer

North American? Premiere

Sat. Oct 6, 1:00 pm, Vogue
Mon. Oct 8, 6:45 pm, Vogue
Fri. Oct 12, 12:00 pm, Granville 3

Deprived of a proper honeymoon, newlyweds Atul and Vina can’t consummate their marriage in a house teeming with traditionally minded South Asian relatives. Calendar Girls and Made in Dagenham director Nigel Cole and East Is East screenwriter Ayub Khan-Din team-up for a boisterous crowd-pleaser in which "tragedy and comedy are interwoven into a generous, good-natured story of everyday problems."—Guardian

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BAD WEATHER

Germany/UK | Dir: Giovanni Giommi

Canadian Premiere

Tue. Oct 2, 9:15 pm, Granville 5

Already beset by social and economic hardship, a Bangladeshi brothel island now finds its very existence threatened by rising sea levels and devastating storms. Initially an unflinching account of the island’s ostracized but remarkably spunky women and children, Giovanni Giommi’s unforgettable documentary gradually evolves into a humane but Breughelian vision.

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BITTER SEEDS

USA/India | Dir: Micha X. Peled

Related Links: Official Website | Trailer | Facebook | Twitter | Interview

Canadian Premiere

Mon. Oct 1, 6:15 pm, Granville 1
Tue. Oct 2, 12:00 pm, Granville 4

With industrial agriculture seemingly thriving in India, why has the suicide rate amongst farmers spiked to unthinkable levels? Micha X. Peled’s stirring piece of investigative journalism travels to Telung Takli to expose the human cost of genetically modified crops and celebrates the aspiring reporter who’s trying to sound the alarm. Winner, Green Screen Award, Oxfam Global Justice Award, IDFA 2011.

Guest In Attendance

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BLOOD RELATIVE

Canada | Dir: Nimisha Mukerji

Related Links: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Trailer

World Premiere

Sat. Oct 6, 6:45 pm, Granville 2
Wed. Oct 10, 4:15 pm, Granville 7
Fri. Oct 12, 9:15 pm, Granville 2

Director Nimisha Mukerji’s (65_RedRoses, VIFF 09) documentary follows an activist fighting to save two young adults dying from Thalassemia, a rare blood disease. Suffering stunted growth and without access to medication, they remain trapped in the bodies of children. Chronicling one man’s battle, the film exposes modern India’s broken healthcare system.

Guest In Attendance

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JAI BHIM COMRADE

India | Dir: Anand Patwardhan

Related Links: Official Website | Trailer

Tue. Oct 2, 7:00 pm, Granville 6

After Mumbai police opened fire on unarmed Dalit protesters, leading Indian documentarian Anand Patwardhan was pushed beyond his limit. Over the next 14 years, he crafted this tour de force that not only condemns Hindu extremism and the millennia of oppression endured by the Dalit, but also showcases this underclass’ indomitable spirit through their music and poetry. Winner, Best Documentary, Hong Kong 2012.

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PLAY LIKE A LION: THE LEGACY OF MAESTRO ALI AKBAR KHAN

USA | Dir: Joshua Dylan Mellars

Related Links: Trailer | Official Website | Facebook

Canadian Premiere

Tue. Oct 9, 10:45 am, Cinematheque
Thu. Oct 11, 9:15 pm, Cinematheque

Called "possibly the greatest musician in the world" by Yehudi Menuhin, sarodist Ali Akbar Khan introduced North Americans to Indian classical music in 1955. Now, his son Alam must step in and assume the mantle… Joshua Dylan Mellars’ melodious documentary features concert and behind-the-scenes footage as well as tribute performances from Carlos Santana, Ustad Zakir Hussain and others.

Guest In Attendance

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MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN

Canada/India | Dir: Deepa Mehta

Related Links: Official Website | Trailer

Wed. Oct 3, 9:00 pm, Vogue

Salman Rushdie did not just give Canada’s Deepa Mehta (Water) permission to adapt his epic novel—he wrote the screenplay and supplied the first-person narration! The story of Muslim and Hindu babies—born at midnight on Aug. 15, 1947, the day of India’s independence from Great Britain—switched at birth conjures images and characters as rich and unforgettable as India herself.

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LOU HARRISON: A WORLD OF MUSIC

USA | Dir: Eva Soltes

Related Links: Official Website

International Premiere

Fri. Oct 5, 6:30 pm, Vancity
Sun. Oct 7, 10:45 am, Cinematheque

Lou Harrison is considered one of the great composers of the 20th century for "…creating America’s first important body of ’multi-cultural’ music."—New Yorker. Student of Schoenberg, friend of Cage, Harrison’s micro-tonal music astonishes for being so open and so beautiful. Eva Soltes crafts a loving and lively tribute to this iconoclast in which "the delight he imparted as composer and person is amply felt."—Variety

Guest In Attendance

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VALLEY OF SAINTS

India/USA | Dir: Musa Syeed

Related Links: Official Website | Trailer

Canadian Premiere

Tue. Oct 2, 10:30 am, Granville 2

When violent protests curtail Gulzar and Afzal’s escape from Kashmir’s picturesque-but-impoverished Dal Lake, the lifelong friends butt heads over the beguiling scientist who’s studying the polluted lake. Political tensions, personal conflicts and environmental concerns conspire in Musa Syeed’s absorbing drama. Winner, Audience Award (World Cinema: Dramatic), Sundance 2012.

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THE WORLD BEFORE HER

Canada | Dir: Nisha Pahuja

Related Links: Official Website | Trailer

Thu. Oct 11, 6:00 pm, Granville 5

This energetic doc follows two young Indian women: a Hindu fundamentalist and a beauty pageant contestant. While each vies for her place in a male-dominated society, both are circumscribed by the very life-paths that claim to liberate them. Director Nisha Pahuja asks: What does the future hold? Winner, Best Documentary Feature, Tribeca; Best Canadian Documentary, Hot Docs.

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