Award-winning Assamese filmmaker Biswajeet Bora’s film God On The Balcony is gathering a lot of applauds all over the world.
The film, which is currently being showcased at the 24th Shanghai International Film Festival and the 21st New York Indian Film Festival, will be officially screened at the 18th Indian Film Festival Stuttgart, Germany.
The film will be competing for the German Star Of India for the Best Feature along with some best Indian films of recent times.
"The Indian Film Festival Stuttgart, Germany, is very close to my heart because they showcased my earlier documentary project Angel of the Aboriginals: Dr Verrier Elwin. I am glad and honoured to have got the selection yet again for God On The Balcony," director Bora said.
Touted as one of the biggest Indian film festivals in Europe, the 18th edition of the film gala, scheduled from July 21 to July 25 will be held in a virtual format in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, screening a wide selection of films from different genres, including mainstream Hindi productions as well as Indian art house, documentaries, animation and short films.
Additionally, the festival organizers have a strong interest in making newcomer films available to a wide audience.
"I was born and brought up in Assam. Since childhood, I have been witnessing these kinds of stories out there," the director further added.
"People are suffering in different ways due to negligence and underdevelopment but very little care for these people’s grievances," he added.
"Their struggles to live life despite being suffocated in many ways inspired me to take on this subject. Their little hopes, joys, and happiness motivated me to pen this story of their daily struggle. Now I am happy that the film is being well received worldwide," Bora further said.
God On The Balcony explores an all-too-common Indian reality – poor infrastructure in rural areas that limits access to healthcare, steady incomes and quality education.
The film has been resonating not only resonating within India but it has earned the name of its own in many other international film festivals such as the 25th International Film Festival of Kerala, 24th Kolkata International Film Festival, 19th Pune International Film Festival, 20th Imagine India International Film Festival, Madrid & 19th Dhaka International film festival.
In the coming months, God on the Balcony is set to be shown at a few more international festivals in Brazil, Melbourne, Canada, London and America.
Over the last year, it has been screened at the Kolkata International Film Festival – where Bora won the Best Director Award in the Indian Language Films category.
The film produced by Noorul Sultan under Maina productions, God On The Balcony, is inspired by the real-life story of poverty-stricken Dana Majhi from Odisha, who was forced to carry his wife's body on his shoulders for nearly ten kilometres because the government did not care.
The film stars Harish Khanna, Pranami Bora, Porinandhi Jima Sultana in lead and is set for release in October 2021.
