Hyderabad: City-based independent filmmaker Triparna Banerjee is all set for her debut short film, Nails (which is representing India), in the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah this December. The international competition will be held from December 5 to 9.
The short film deals with the story of two sisters from the fictitious small town of Bellpur – wherein one of whom has Down Syndrome, and the other who is dealing with her own trauma. The idea for the movie comes from Triparna’s own life experiences, including growing up with an aunt who has Down Syndrome.
According to the director’s note, her aunt was an integral part of her formative years. “As I now see her older, I wonder what all she might have seen and known but will never be able to express,” says Triparna. The concept of the other sister’s character comes her own experiences as a teenager in Delhi as a student.
“Due to the rising crime against women, public spaces never felt safe. Anyone who walked behind me seemed like a probable stalker, any car that passed by made me feel nervous and cold. This feeling of being afraid on the streets shaped the character of Dolly. A woman is dealing with trauma and any trigger pushes her to the extreme,” explains Triparna about her short film Nails.
The short film explores the dark side of human nature, exploring themes of violence, abuse and what Triparna calls the “insidious practice of sweeping such matters under the rug and labelling them as “private”.
The short film will be screened in the second week of December in Jeddah.
