| TITLE OF THE FILM | Slaves Of The Empire |
| DIRECTED BY | Rajesh James |
| LANGUAGE | Malayalam, Tamil (English subtitles) |
| YEAR | 2024 |
| COUNTRY | India |
| DURATION | 51 minutes |
| SPECIAL NOTE | Kolkata Premiere |
PRINCIPAL CREW
| CINEMATOGRAPHY | C.S. Jasweth, Roshan Jose |
| EDITING | J J Abraham |
| SOUND DESIGN | Rengnath Ravee |
| MUSIC | Albin Andrew Correya |
ABOUT THE FILM
‘Slaves of the Empire’ unfolds against the backdrop of colonial-era Fort Kochi, a picturesque town in Kerala, India. This evocative film delves deep into the ordinary existence of a dhobi community—laundry workers who were enslaved by the Dutch during the colonial era. Through the captivating journeys of four central characters — Rajan, Pratti, Rajashekharan and Selvaraj — the film paints a vivid portrait of their remarkable stories, depicting both their trials and triumphs, as well as their unwavering spirit of resistance and endurance.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Rajesh James is a documentary filmmaker and film researcher based in Kochi. He was awarded the prestigious Riyad Wadia Award for Best Emerging Filmmaker, India in 2017. His documentary ‘Naked Wheels’ won the K.F. Patil Unity in Diversity Award for Best Documentary Short at Kashish International Queer Film Festival Mumbai in 2017. His notable documentary films include ‘Slaves of the Empire’ (2024), ‘In Thunder, Lightning and Rain’ (2018) and ‘Zebra Lines’ (2014).
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
“Embracing the aesthetics of a bygone era, ‘Slaves of the Empire’ is primarily envisioned as a monochromatic cinematic attempt, captured in digital format with a classic 4:3 aspect ratio. In doing so, it pays a heartfelt tribute to the centenary of the 16mm film stock’s inception, which was introduced as a less expensive alternative to 35mm.”
