If you get tired of all the formulaic movies Bollywood keeps on producing, take a look at the Indian short films. From documenting extraordinary stories to giving life to meaningful narratives, short films have set a very high bar and are a complete delight to watch.
Recently, a short film that’s leaving its mark in the world of cinema is ‘Kamali’ which has bagged the ‘Best Documentary’ title in the Atlanta Film Festival and has been shortlisted for Oscars 2020.
Based on a 9-year old skateboarding sensation Kamali Moorthy from, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, the short film documents the story of her mother Suganthi’s fight against the odds of society to raise a daughter with the freedom to follow her dreams, liberating her from the chains of patriarchy.
“When Suganthi (Kamali’s mother) sees her children, she reflects on her childhood and how she could not do the things she wished to do because of the society. Today, she wants Kamali to taste the freedom she did not have,” Aine Edwards, Kamali’s mentor tells The News Minute.
In the trailer for the short film, 34-year Suganthi can be heard saying how it’s a good thing that her marriage broke. If she still had her husband in her life, Kamali would have ended up getting married at 17. But now, she has the freedom to educate and raise her daughter into whoever she wants to be. It is through skateboarding that she empowers Kamali.
According to NDTV, filmmaker Sasha Rainbow visited India to feature Kamali in a video for a song called ‘Alpha Female’. But fascinated by Suganthi, she decided to feature the mother-daughter duo in a documentary and tell their story to the world.
“Kamali’s story represents an incredible moment in India and shows how massive change can start with just one person. I believe Kamali’s mother Suganthi and others like her are heroes who should be celebrated for her bravery. I believe skateboarding is a symbol of going against the grain, standing boldly in front of society and taking ownership of one’s life”, she said.
We hope Kamali’s story reaches every corner of the world and get the love that it deserves!