This short feature film (25 minutes) directed by Ashim Paul, which was screened at the IFFI,Goa, reveals the story of the lives of three individuals.
Elena, a Russian ballerina and Maitreyee, an Indian banker share their feminine ideas about a man. Pranay, a writer and philosopher, makes these women aware of the definition of completeness.
Whereas, they also understand that Pranay had never been made for them. However, Pranay’s search for the absolute truth desolates the two women in their own world.
Elena’s desire to see Pranay for one last time makes her drive through the never-ending highway to the horizon.
It is a sensitively filmed story, of two souls that are drawn together in multiple ways.
Birds of Passage depicts that memory plays the role of the catalyst that brings closer the souls of these two women protagonists.
A rather unusual development occurs and the memories of their beloved, which instead of making them envious at each other, brings them closer.
Cast:
Gaurav Bose – Pranay
Elena Kazan – Elena
Mallika Mazumdar – Maitreyee
Credits:
Directed by Ashim Paul
Story writer – Lagnajita Roy
Cinematography by Anil Pingua
Film Editor – Shivanshu Pathak
Assistant Director – Ashmeet Singh Sawhney
Music – Jonathan Rabson
Director’s Take:
Ashim Paul, is an ex-student, Direction and Screenplay Writing from the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute.
The director illustrates, through the medium of this short feature that “Life is an endless search”. The search for love, search for truth, search for the courage to overcome the loneliness, are the driving force of the story.
Brilliant performances of the actors have complemented the characters. On having a personal chat with the director, he stated that the shooting lasted for ten days in and around various places inWest Bengal.
After completing his Master’s on Film studies from Jadavpur University, Ashim joined Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute with specialization in Direction and Screenplay Writing. He has also attended the Summer University at La fémis, Paris in 2012. His first student project Chhayapath – Echo of an Old Ballad had been screened in different festivals worldwide. His recent work in Paris, Les Enfant d’Alger, the documentary film on Algerian war of Independence is also getting good audience response from European and African Film festivals.
