Review of some of the Best Films from India, at the London Film Festival
Best films from India were screened at the London Film Festival that promotes world films, which may not be available for screening in the cinemas across the nation. The festival is an important venue for development and promotion of films from UK and abroad. Some of the films from India are reviewed below:
‘Frozen’: Shivajee Chandrabhushan/India: ‘Frozen’ is a story told from a young girl’s perspective.
Frozen is a film that makes the audience transfixed to their seat till closing credits disappear! It is the brilliance of the black and white landscape and the directorial restrain in bringing the conflict between individuals and society. Frozen tells the story of an aging father Karma, his teenaged daughter Lasya and her ‘little brother’ Chomo and the story is told through Lasya’s eyes. The action takes place in Ladakh, Indian side of Jammu-Kashmir border, 15000 feet above sea level in freezing conditions at 30 degree below. Lasya grows up watching her father making apricot jam and selling his product at the local market place. Unfortunately, he is unable to compete with others in the trade, as they use machines to make jam. Karma is in financial ruin, having to borrow from unscrupulous moneylenders. Their simple lives are shattered by the arrival of the army that protects the frontier and sets up a camp close to their house. Karma is asked to take his children and leave his ancestral home, which brings him close to a breaking point. Amidst all this, Lasya is blossoming into a very attractive woman and a local boy Romeo gets interested in her. Karma is oblivious to his daughter growing up, till one of the moneylenders tells him that he is willing to forget the money in exchange for her! The turmoil of the financial ruin, worrying about his daughter’s safety and having to move out of his safe haven play havoc on the aging Karma. Unexpected disaster sets in and Lasya runs away to escape from it all, only to be stopped by a barbed wire…
