Anuparna Roy dedicated the award to women, while producers emphasized the importance of supporting female filmmakers and their compelling stories. The film, starring Naaz Shaikh and Sumi Baghel, explores empathy, survival, and kinship.
Venice [Italy]: Debutant filmmaker Anuparna Roy has scripted history by winning the Orizzonti Award for Best Director at the prestigious 82nd Venice Film Festival for her feature film ‘Songs of Forgotten Trees’. The movie, presented by Anurag Kashyap, was the only Indian film selected in the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival this year. Starring Naaz Shaikh and Sumi Baghel, ‘Songs of Forgotten Trees’ is produced by Bibhanshu Rai, Romil Modi and Ranjan Singh and follows the story of two women and how their lives get intertwined in Mumbai. Reacting to the huge win, director Anuparna Roy dedicated her win to all the women who have been “underestimated”, “overlooked”, or “silenced” in their lives. “This film is a tribute to every woman who’s ever been silenced, overlooked, or underestimated. May this win inspire more voices, more stories, and more power for women in cinema and beyond,” said Anuparna Roy as quoted in a press note shared by her team.
Beaming with pride over the honour, producer Bibhanshu Rai said, “Making this film was never easy. We went through challenges, tough days, and moments of doubt. But we held on, because this story had to be told. I knew Anuparna would never give up. She has that fire, and it kept all of us going.” Stating that supporting women like Anuparna isn’t “just a choice, but a responsibility,” producer Romil Modi said, “Their stories hold so much strength, honesty, and heart; far more compelling than the endless war-driven tales we see today. This film is my way of standing by her, and by every woman whose voice deserves to be heard,” as quoted in a press note. Ranjan Singh of Flip Films said Anuparna “stayed true to her first pitch” of the human drama and made the film she wanted to, adding, “This win is the best testament that if one tells stories that they believe in truly, they will resonate with everyone across the world,” as quoted in a press note.
Synopsis of the Movie
According to the official synopsis, ‘Songs of Forgotten Trees’, co-produced by Navin Shetty and Anuparna Roy, follows the story of Thooya, a migrant and aspiring actress, who survives the city by leveraging beauty and wit, occasionally trading intimacy for opportunity. When she sublets her sugar daddy’s upscale apartment to Swetha, a fellow migrant working a corporate job, the two women begin to share more than just a space. Amid the relentless pulse of Mumbai, they discover a silent empathy. However, as personal histories, desires, and wounds resurface, their delicate connection is put to the test. What follows is not a rupture, but a strange and tender unfolding of selfhood, of survival, of unexpected kinship, as per the press note. The Orizzonti section has been a launchpad for innovative storytelling that has previously honoured films like Chaitanya Tamhane’s ‘Court’ and Karan Tejpal’s ‘Stolen’.
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