The 27th edition of the prestigious Busan International Film Festival aka BIFF kicked off earlier this month from 5th October at Busan city located in South Korea. The festival will conclude on 14th October. A total of 353 films will be showcased at BIFF 2022. The opening film was ‘Scent of Wind’ from Iran and the closing film would be the Japanese movie ‘A Man’.
Some eagerly anticipated Hollywood movies like James Gray’s ‘Armageddon Time’, Alejandro G. Anarritu’s ‘Bardo’, David Cronenberg’s ‘Crimes of the Future’, ‘Triangle of Sadness’, and ‘Bones and All’ will be screened at the ongoing Busan fest. Moreover, several interesting Indian films are also a part of the Busan International Film Festival 2022. Here is a list of the Indian movies at BIFF 2022 along with their brief synopsis.
Seventeeners (Segment: Jiseok)
Directed by Prithvi Konanur (Where is Pinki?), the film follows the story of two school students Deepa and Hari, who are in love with each other. But all hell breaks loose when an intimate video they had recorded gets uploaded online.
The Storyteller (Segment: Jiseok)
Inspired by one of Satyajit Ray’s characters Uncle Tarini, the film follows the story of a retired man Tarini, who accepts a tempting offer by a wealthy man who suffers from insomnia. He uses his untapped gift of storytelling to help the man in Ahmedabad and the relationship between the two men turns interesting. The film has been helmed by Anant Mahadevan and features Paresh Rawal and Adil Hussain.
Declaration (Segment: A Window on Asian Cinema)
Written and directed by Mahesh Narayanan, the film revolves around an immigrant married couple Harish and Reshimi who are from Kerala and presently working in Delhi in a medical glove factory. After a video of Reshimi gets manipulated and goes viral, the couple’s relationship and their jobs come under severe stress.
Goldfish (Segment: A Window on Asian Cinema)
Helmed by Pushan Kripalani, the film follows the story of Anamika (Kalki Koechlin), who decides to return to care for her mother Sadhana (Deepti Naval), a once promising classical singer who is now suffering from dementia.
Mariam (Segment: A Window on Asian Cinema)
The film’s plot is about a migrant worker Mariam who resorts to illegal surrogacy to provide financial support to her three daughters in Mumbai. But the story takes a turn when the baby’s parents are nowhere to be found.
Tora’s Husband (Segment: A Window on Asian Cinema)
Helmed by National Award-winning filmmaker Rima Das (Village Rockstars, Bulbul Can Sing), ‘Tora’s Husband’ is an Assamese language film which focuses on the life of a doting father who is struggling to keep his business afloat while dealing with worsening relationships amidst the backdrop of the pandemic lockdown in a small town. It features Abhijit Das and Tarali Kalita Das in the lead roles.
Zwigato (Segment: A Window on Asian Cinema)
Written and directed by actor-filmmaker Nandita Das, the movie narrates a bittersweet tale of a married couple (played by popular stand-up comedian Kapil Sharma and Shahana Goswami) and their persistent struggles to make a living in Bhubaneshwar in the post-pandemic era. In the slice-of-life film, Kapil Sharma will be seen in the role of a food delivery rider who lost his factory manager job in the pandemic.
Shivamma (Segment: New Currents)
Directed by Jaishankar Aryar, the movie revolves around the sole breadwinner for her poor family Shivamma. She works in an energy drink company Nuracle and strives hard to support her ill husband and her kids.
The Winter Within (Segment: New Currents)
Directed by Aamir Bashir (A Wednesday, Sacred Games), the Kashmir-set film follows a woman named Nargis, who is desperately searching for her missing husband, who was arrested by the authorities. She is offered help by Yaseen, who is romantically inclined towards her, But the story takes an interesting turn when her husband Manzoor suddenly comes back.
Dear Me (Segment: Wide Angle – Asian Short Film Competition)
The animated film helmed by Suchana Saha is apparently about an emotional letter from a girl to herself in a chaotic world.
All That Breathes (Segment: Wide Angle – Documentary Showcase)
Set against the backdrop of Delhi, the documentary film revolves around two brothers namely Saud and Nadeem whose childhood entailed watching the birds of prey, also known as the black kite, in the sky. Shaunak Sen’s film narrates how the two brothers have dedicated their lives to protect these birds which are now falling from the polluted skies.
Max, Min and Meowzaki (Segment: Open Cinema)
The film’s plot is about the titular couple Max and Min who decide to go their separate ways and try to divide their belongings including their cat named Meowzaki. The story also touches upon the newly found romantic interest of Max’s widowed father and his grandfather.
Vikram (Segment: Open Cinema)
Helmed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the star-studded action entertainer features the terrific trio of Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi, and Fahadh Faasil alongside Suriya in a cameo. Kamal Haasan is essaying the titular character of a retired cop named Vikram, who is given the mission to rescue a top brass government official.