NAME OF THE MOVIE: Court
DIRECTED BY: Chaitanya Tamhane
DURATION
116 mins
YEAR
2014
COUNTRY
India
LANGUAGE
Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, English
SUBTITLES
English
The dead body of a sewer cleaner is found in a Mumbai manhole. An ageing Dalit activist and mass singer is charged with abetting suicide based on the fiery content of one of his song lyrics, which allegedly may have incited the worker to take his own life. The ensuing trial is drawn out through procedural delays and excuses, and meanders through the absurdities of coached witnesses, arcane colonial legal practices and institutional incompetencies. This Kafkaesque chaos of a low-level court acts as a backdrop to explore the complex personal lives of judge, prosecution and defense alike. The director moves between tragedy and comedy, working with a cast of professional and un-trained actors alike, to bring his dark yet humanist portrait of the Indian justice system to life.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Chaitanya Tamhane is an Indian filmmaker known for his thoughtful and nuanced films that explore complex social issues. His debut feature film, \"Court\" (2014), won several awards at international festivals and was India''s official entry for the Academy Awards. Tamhane''s second film, \"Violence Anywhere But Here\" (2023) premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival where it received critical acclaim. He has been praised for his unique style of storytelling which involves exploring different perspectives without passing judgment. His films often tackle themes such as justice, power dynamics, and moral ambiguity. Overall, Tamhane is considered one of the most promising young directors working today.
PERSONNEL
Cinematographer
Mrinal Desai
Editor
Rikhav Desai
Production Designer
Naresh Kumar, Somnath Pal, Pooja Talreja
Sound
Keshav Waghe
Producer(s)
Vivek Gomber
