The World Is Family
The South Asian Film Festival of Montreal (MSFF) is dedicated to exploring and introducing Montreal audiences to the work of filmmakers of South Asian origin. This 13th edition is an opportunity to discover many recent works, both documentary and fiction, that focus on the Indian subcontinent and its diaspora.
Winner of the Best Editing - International Competition Award, 2023 IDFA
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, a Sanskrit phrase meaning “the world is family”, is a universalist idea that competes with dominant, exclusivist Hindu notions of caste. Anand grew up in a milieu that questioned the latter. The family’s elders had fought for India’s Independence but rarely spoken about it. As his parents aged, Anand began to film with whatever equipment was at hand. Soon, birthdays and family gatherings gave way to oral history. Revisiting home movie footage a decade after his parents had passed was a revelation.
Anand Patwardhan
Anand Patwardhan is an Indian documentary filmmaker known for his socio-political, human rights-oriented films. Some of his films explore the rise of religious fundamentalism, sectarianism and casteism in India, while others investigate nuclear nationalism and unsustainable development. Notable films include Bombay: Our City (1985), In the Name of God (Ram Ke Namm) (1992), Father, Son, and Holy War (1995), War and Peace (2002), Jai Bhim Comrade (2011), and Reason (2018) which have won national and international awards.
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