Balekempa (translation: The Bangle Seller) is a 2018 Kannada drama film written and directed by Ere Gowda. Produced by Zoo Entertainment Pvt Ltd, the film is about the relationship between a travelling bangle seller and his wife.[1][2][3][4][5] The film was included in the list of the ten most notable films at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.[6]
| Balekempa | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Ere Gowda |
| Produced by | Vivek Gomber, Chaitanya Tamhane |
| Starring | Jnanesh, Bhagya Shree, Chandrashekar C.S, Nagaraju D.P |
| Cinematography | Saumyananda Sahi |
| Edited by | Saumyananda Sahi |
| Music by | Benedict Taylor, Naren Chandavarkar |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada |
Plot
editKempanna, the bangle seller, roams the countryside adorning the hands and faces of women with beauty products. Yet he seems to have little time for his own wife, Saubaghya. Indeed, the only activity that husband and wife do together is taking care of Kempanna's invalid mother. Otherwise, Kempanna seems to prefer the company of his childhood friend, Hanuma, in the quiet and private setting of Hanuma's farm. Meanwhile, Saubaghya's only companion is the neighbour's teenage son Mahesha, who delivers the milk and can't quite control his hormones. The now long married couple's inability to conceive is a concern for Saubaghya's mother who goes to the local deity and prays for the boon of a child. However, without Kempanna's participation, prayers have little effect.
When Saubaghya insists on getting a life insurance policy and disappears to her mother's house, Kempanna has to face what is really wrong with their marriage. For behind every frustration there seem to lurk burning desires. Who is concealing the greater secret - husband, or wife? While society watches, will a child be born?
Awards
edit| Year | Country | Festival | Category | Result | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Brazil! | International Film Festival in São Paulo[7] | Competição de Novos Diretores
(New Directors Competition) |
||
| India | Dharamshala International Film Festival | ||||
| Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image | Indiagold | Indian Premier | |||
| Japan | Fukuoka International Film Festival,[8] Japan | Japanese Premier | |||
| Poland | Transatlantyk Festival,Poland[9] | New Cinema | |||
| Australia | Asia Pacific Screen Awards | Achievement in Cinematography | Nominated[10] | ||
| Indian Film Festival of Melbourne | Nominated[11] | Australian Premiere | |||
| South Korea | Jeonju International Film Festival[12] | World Cinemascape | |||
| Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival | |||||
| Canada | International Film Festival of South Asia, Toronto[13] | Canada Premiere | |||
| UK | East End Film Festival[14] | UK Premiere | |||
| USA | New York Indian Film Festival[15] | Best film | Nominated | US Premiere | |
| Best director | Nominated[16] | ||||
| Netherlands | International Film Festival Rotterdam | FIPRESCI Award | Won[17] | "For its subtle and delightful portrayal of a universal theme against the background of a rich local culture." | |
| 2017 | India | NFDC Film Bazaar | Work-in-Progress Lab | Won[18] |
References
edit- ^ "'Thithi' screenwriter Eregowda's BaleKempa will be a raw telling". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ "Ere Gowda's next gets NFDC backing - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ "Sandalwood Scriptwriter Ere Gowda Talks About 'Balekempa'". Desimartini. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ Pandolin (24 November 2017). "Day 3 of Film Bazaar at International Film Festival of Indian 2017 - Pandolin".
- ^ "Film Bazaar at IFFI 2017 comes to a close". oHeraldo. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ "#Rotterdam2018: The Shape of Water, Balekempa, Respeto… See the 10 most notable films from the IFFR » YNaija". YNaija. 17 February 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
- ^ "42ª Mostra Internacional de Cinema - Filme - O VENDEDOR DE PULSEIRAS". 42.mostra.org. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- ^ Ma, Ran (2017), "Programming China at the Hong Kong International Film Festival and the Shanghai International Film Festival", Chinese Film Festivals, Palgrave Macmillan US, pp. 237–257, doi:10.1057/978-1-137-55016-3_12, ISBN 9781137554802
- ^ Bolesławska, Beata (April 2018). "Lisa Jakelski, Making New Music in Cold War Poland: The Warsaw Autumn Festival, 1956–1968JakelskiLisa, Making New Music in Cold War Poland: The Warsaw Autumn Festival, 1956–1968, University of California Press: Oakland, CA, 2017; 272 pp., 9 illus., 3 tables; 9780520292543, $65.00 (hbk)". European History Quarterly. 48 (2): 368–369. doi:10.1177/0265691418765637x. ISSN 0265-6914. S2CID 150201880.
- ^ "2018 APSA Nominees Announced". 17 October 2018.
- ^ Melbourne, Indian Film Festival of. "Indian Film Festival Melbourne". www.iffm.com.au. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ "JeonJu Intl. Film Festival". eng.jiff.or.kr (in Korean). Archived from the original on 1 May 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- ^ "Balekempa – IFFSA Toronto". www.iffsatoronto.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ "Balekempa - East End Film Festival". East End Film Festival. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- ^ "NYIFF 2018". www.iaac.us. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- ^ "NYIFF 2018". www.iaac.us.
- ^ "Balekempa". IFFR. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ Khajane, Muralidhara (4 February 2018). "Balekempa bags Rotterdam Festival honour". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 March 2018.