Vinsan Productions’ Marathi film STHALPURAN (Chronicle of Space) will be screened at the finale of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) on May 27th. The film produced by a Goa’s dynamic entrepreneur, Sanjay Shetye was previously nominated for the Crystal Bear Award at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival where it premiered last year.
The film has also earned its writer, editor and director, Akshay lndikarthe ‘FFSI KR Mohanan Award for Best Debut Director from India’ at the 25th International Film Festival of Kerala.
‘Sthalapuran’ is the story of Dighu, an eight-year-old boy who migrates to the coastal area of Konkan with his mother and elder sister. The film’s storyline centers on the chaotic experiences in Dighu’s life, brought on by this migration. It chronicles Dighu’s heartbreaking attempts at forgetting the shadows of his past and his efforts to cope with the lingering trauma of his father’s absence.
The film’s narrative describes the coming of age of a boy struggling to come to terms with a new life in a different place and trying to comprehend the myriad changes that it involves, in mute silence. It relates Dighu’s journey as he attempts to understand the inevitable cycle of life and death as well as the many known and few unknown wonders of nature.
The locations in the story explore the beautiful, unfamiliar rural interiors of Goa and the Konkan areas, showcasing Konkan folk culture and its traditions. The movie with a screen-time run of 2 hours has a combination of artists from Goa and Maharashtra and features debut performances by child artists Neil Deshmukh and Anushree Vani. Dhigu’s world is full of sounds — of rain, traffic, a household that becomes resplendent owing to festivities; yet, Dhigu himself is silent; so silent that his silence at a point becomes deafening.
Sanjay said the fact the film was closing the ceremony and the fact it would be presented by Anurag Kashyap was a great honour for him and Goan film makers. He said they loved the story idea when it was presented by the Director Akshay Indikar. He said “ We loved the fact it was set in rural Goa. We liked the story and we wanted a different kind of film. It is very visual in nature and the sound effects add to the story. The script is very impactful and it has been winning awards across the globe. We have won wherever we have participated. And yes we were also present in Berlin”. The story he said was very simple about a young boy from a city discovering his roots. He said “We wanted a Goan boy to essay that role but when we met Neil Deshmukh we knew he was our Dighu. We saw that spark in his eyes. He fit the bill and proved us right by giving an excellent performance.”