French Indian to French American

South Asian films and artists are making a splash again this year at the 35th chapter of Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival, Silicon Valley’s biggest celebration of film and technology. Indian star Kalki Koechlin made her debut in a French-language film Her Song, featured on the opening night of the festival on March 10. Executive Produced by James Ivory (A Room with a View, Shakespeare Wallah) and directed by John M. Keller, Her Song is the story of Olivia (played by Koechlin), a Franco-American novelist who returns to her ancestral village in France, hoping to find some answers to finish her book on her grandmother, who fled Paris during World War II. In this process, she befriends Madeline (Elea Clair), whose story slowly begins to intertwine with Olivia’s novel. 

“I have been a big fan of Kalki for years. I have watched all of her big Bollywood films, like Ye Jawaani Hai Deewani. However, her film, Margarita with a Straw is one of my favorites,” Keller, the film’s director, told India Currents, when asked about his decision to cast her in the film. “I know Kalki’s always up for a challenge, so I gave her an almost impossible task, which is to speak in French with an American accent, which she succeeded in pulling off in Her Song,” Keller added. Besides Kalki, Her Song has other Indian connections as well. The film’s soundtrack is by Indian-origin composer Dhruv Goel, who was featured on the Grammy-nominated album Shuruaat.
(Stay tuned for India Currents’ interview with Dhruv Goel).

Other South Asian films at Cinequest this year include:

Victoria (Malayalam):  Directed by Sivaranjani J, starring Meenakshi Jayan and Sreeshma Chandran. Victoria is the story of a beautician who is navigating her life’s most important decisions (and challenges) during a whole day at the beauty parlor. Her companion is a rooster. 

Watch Victoria at Alamo Drafthouse in Mountain View on March 20 at 7 pm.

Calorie (English):  Directed by Eisha Marjara, starring Anupam Kher, Ellora Pattnaik, Shanaya Dhillon-Birmhan, Ashley Ganger, and Dolly Ahluwalia. Ellora Pattnaik, in a career-defining role, plays Monica, a Canadian Sikh woman, navigating a difficult past and the trauma of losing her mother. She tries to protect her daughters from the past, but everything unravels when her daughters have to go to India without her. 

Watch Calorie on March 21 at 9.30 pm in Alamo Drafthouse, Mountain View. Additional show on March 22 at 7.15 pm in Alamo Drafthouse.

This Tempting Madness (English):  Directed by Jennifer E. Montgomery, starring Simone Ashley (Bridgerton) and Suraj Sharma (Life of Pi). A thriller about Mia, who wakes up from a coma and is now piecing together remnants of her past, but things don’t add up as they should. Soon, reality shifts and trust becomes a fragile currency.

Watch This Tempting Madness at Alamo Drafthouse, Mountain View on March 17 at 9.55 pm. 

Bayaan (Hindi): Directed by Bikas Ranjan Mishra, starring Huma Qureshi and Chandrachur Singh. When an anonymous letter accuses a revered cult leader of abuse, detective Roohi is sent to a small Indian town to investigate. Confronted by blind devotion, she must break through the wall of silence to uncover the truth.

Watch Bayaan on March 18 at 7.15 pm at Alamo Drafthouse Mountain View and on March 22 at 4.45 pm.

Linka Linka (Tibetan): Directed by Kangdrun, starring Tsering Yangkyi. Samgyi is grappling with a childhood trauma and looks to address it by making a film. Linka Linka is a journey of her grappling with her past and coming to terms with her identity.

Watch Linka Linka on March 21 at 7.30 pm at Alamo Drafthouse.

The festival runs till March 22. Screenings are taking place at the California and Hammer theaters in San Jose and the Alamo Drafthouse in Mountain View.

Get your passes and tickets for Cinequest at cinequest.org.