Testimony of Ana

India, USA2020documentary24'Konkurs krótkometrażowy (2021)

A night, a lake and a stone in the water. The mysterious opening of the film leads to Anaben Pawar, an elderly woman whose life in a small village in India is filled with syncretic rituals. The old lady lives in harmony with nature, yet she is under constant threat from an oppressive, patriarchal culture. ‘Witch hunting’ is a mechanism, deeply rooted in folk mentality, thanks to which men control women’s lives. The atmosphere of the film is horror-like, but violence, torture and humiliation turn out to be just elements of everyday life and a cruel method to sanction traditional social hierarchy.

directed by: Sachin Dheeraj Mudigonda
He comes from India and is an engineer by profession. At present, he is studying Film and Media Production at the University of Texas at Austin as part of the MFA programme. In his films, he is trying to tell stories which enable him to make contact with people, places and communities that are slowly disappearing. Through cinema, he wants to confirm their presence preserving their existence and memories.
cinematography: Rohin Raveendran Nair
script: Anaben Pawar, Sachin Dheeraj Mudigonda
cast: Anaben Pawar
sound: Nilesh Jatwa, Shreyank Nanjappa, Morgan Honaker
editing: Sachin Dheeraj Mudigonda
production: Sachin Dheeraj Mudigonda, Janani Vijayanathan (KINOSTREET)
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