The Hour of Lynching

Is it better to suffer the consequences of a lockdown or of Covid-19? That’s the harsh choice facing 11 million migrant workers in India when they have to leave their workplaces in the cities without warning. The country’s prime minister Narendra Modi sees a lockdown for India’s 1.3 billion inhabitants as a collective sacrifice that’s necessary to combat the spread of the virus, but his call to suffering only serves to outsource the miseries of the pandemic to the poorest of the poor.

A wry, modern-day parable of religion and politics that plays out in the Indian countryside, Searching for Saraswati travels to Mughalwali village in Haryana - where, it is claimed, the mythical Saraswati river has been found. An understated and hilarious portrait of politicians, priests, and religious devotees all hurrying to get in on what they hope will be a religious and cultural groundswell, no matter what the skeptics say.

Showmen riding cinema lorries have brought the wonder of the movies to faraway villages in India once every year. Seven decades on, as their cinema projectors crumble and film reels become scarce, their patrons are lured by slick digital technology. A benevolent showman, a shrewd exhibitor and a maverick projector mechanic bear a beautiful burden - to keep the last traveling cinemas of the world running. A critically acclaimed, poignant documentary that celebrates India’s travelling picture shows and laments their demise, filled with exquisite visuals and marvellous eccentrics.

‘Black pamphlets’ follows the pace of the twelve-day election campaign, and meets characters in the journey and builds its narrative through them.