I have just learned that The Blinding Sea has been made an Official Selection at the Tagore International Film Festival, in Bolpur, West Bengal, India. This is the third distinction for the film India so far. I entered in the category of Début Filmmaker.
According to the festival, “The word Shantiniketan means Abode of Peace. It is built on the vision of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who wanted to create a space where people can interchange their ideas about art, culture and life in general. Bolpur’s air still breathes his energy, his passion and his free thinking. People from all over the world come to Bolpur to participate in the Poush Mela and Vasant utsav. Another unique feature of Bolpur is its lush greenery and Kopai River along the Sonajhuri forest in Khoai. The landscape purifies one’s soul.
“The sole purpose of TIFF is to celebrate the joy of artistic creation in a land of beauty and intellect. Shantiniketan stands testimony to Tagore’s belief that the close connection between man and nature should be the founding principle of knowledge. TIFF showcases an outstanding presentation of independent filmmaking, while also building a strong sense of community around the art of visual storytelling.”
It is thrilling to reach audiences in India with this film. After all, I want to give viewers a powerful story full of love, sorrow, courage, rage, envy, hope, shame, desire, and of course the finality of death. I want to address the choice we all have between openness and racism, but address it in a positive way. And I want us to explore together a single question: what does it mean to really “know”? Including – what does it mean to really “know that other person”?
