After some customary fireworks and snacking, I spent my Diwali break bingewatching HBO's 'The Sympathizer'. This sent me down a YouTube rabbit hole on Viet Thanh Nguyen's book the series was based on. One of the chapters in the book /episodes in the series about Hollywood's depiction of the Vietnam War (The American war if you were from Vietnam) opened my eyes to the USA's greatest progaganda machine - their film industry. Lacking authentic voices from across communities, nations & cultures It was exposed as an unreliable narrator that was writing a history with its own agenda.

Cinema, ideally should be a two-way street - life imitating art and vice-versa. But this transference of truth is highly unilateral. We know, coming from the land of Bollywood that the truth is always embellished and rarely goes against the grain of what is already popular among the people; thus becoming a self-feeding cycle of false representation. Our generalized notions of women, sex, family and even different communities have been tainted by their incorrect depictions on mainstream cinema.

The only way to reverse it would be to amplify the voice coming from the source; which is what DIFF is trying to do. The Dharamshala International Film Festival, one of India's leading champions of independent filmmaking is back this year for its 13th edition. The lineup this year features over 80 films from more than 28 countries, spanning the genres of documentary, narrative, animation, shorts and young adult films alongside powerful stories from South Asia.. In addition, DIFF Online will enable audiences worldwide to access a curated selection of films remotely, after the physical festival.

“Our programme for the 13th edition of DIFF is a mix of films that directly explore difficult subjects like political unrest and trauma, and those that allow audiences to briefly forget these realities and lose themselves in different worlds – both inner and outer – in the special way that only cinema can do,” says Bina Paul, DIFF’s director of programming. “This year, we had an incredible range of films to choose from. More and more young people are taking up the camera to tell their personal stories, providing a fresh eye on many pressing concerns. We had films from war zones, films of trauma and resistance, and films that delve into the quiet aspects of human existence,” she adds.

Here are some films to check out at the festival:

International highlights

Separated by acclaimed director Errol Morris, a procedural documentary on the family separations at the US-Mexico border. The Room Next Door by Pedro Almodóvar stars Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton in a reunion of two old friends. MA – Cry of Silence by The Maw Naing, chronicles the plight of a young textiles worker against a political unrest. In the Land of Brothers by notable Iranian directors Alireza Ghasemi and Raha Amirfazl captures refugees' struggles of finding a home; Pooja, Sir by Deepak Rauniyar's Pooja, Sir follows a crime-drama amidst the Madhesi movement in Nepal. Agent of Happiness by Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó surveys fulfilment in the people of the Bhutanese Himalayas.

Indian highlights

Second Chance by Himachali filmmaker Subhadra Mahajan is based on a story of a young girl who recovers from a trauma through unlikely friendships. Girls Will Be Girls by Shuchi Talati explores queer desire and the oppressive forces that deny it. In Shonali Bose's A Fly on the Wall, she is tasked with filming her friend Chika Kapadia's physician assisted suicide while also turning the camera on herself. Marching in the Dark by Kinshuk Surjan documents the emerging voice of a young widow amidst the farmer suicide crisis of India. Childhood dreams clash with the harsh realities of the world in Village Rockstars 2 by Rima Das. In Achal Mishra's Chaar Phool Hain Aur Duniya Hai, writer Vinod Kumar Shukla saunters between the geographies of past, present and future.

Themes at DIFF

DIFF explores different thematic territories this year with films grouped under specific sub categories. 'Reclaim' for example follows a mother and son's life in an abusive household (Unlocked), a 10-year-old girl who has found a haven in the bathroom (The Girl Who Lives in the Loo), and a trans non-binary individual embracing their true self (Dear Sahithya). In 'Family Ties', Sandra attempts to break out of her normative duties of being a mother and a wife (Mum), Rehaan, 11, and his sister Mitra, 8, try to talk about bad touch (What's the Film About?), and a newly-wed couple struggle with the responsibilities of their nuclear families (Charware). 'Spaces' explores the chain reaction sparked by a hate comment in a public toilet (Gote Goat Ghost), Alsana's corner in a small room that becomes an expression of her inner world (Making Space), and an architect's nostalgic notes on finding a home (Fantasy in a Concrete Jungle).

With 100+ filmmakers, cast and crew in attendance, this years’ festival will also feature exciting special programmes, including panel discussions, Q&A sessions and masterclasses with visiting national and international filmmakers. The conversations will touch upon various themes in storytelling, like a panel on character driven films with Shahana Goswami known for Rock On & Firaaq as well as Santosh, UK's Oscar entry this year. Shadows of our forgotten ancestors will dive into reclaiming identity through film bridging gaps between cultural memory and the dislocation of personal heritage. Myth, Memory & Feminist Storytelling will explore the inner landscapes of female protagonists intersecting with their social realities. Fragmented Realities will reflect how media and communication in film shape and complicate narratives of identity, class, and power in today’s world.

Through an eclectic line-up, DIFF aims to enrich and expand the minds of the festival attendees and viewers online. Re-affirmimg cinema’s unique power to both reflect and shape our collective consciousness DIFF's stories weave through personal and political landscapes, crossing borders of geography and genre to capture the nuances of human experience. In these moments of shared storytelling, filmmakers bridge continents with their intimate perspectives, allowing audiences to witness unfamiliar lives and, in doing so, perhaps see glimpses of their own, leaving us with a deeper understanding of our interconnected world.

Visit DIFF here to find out about the festival.

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