Film : Dark Circles
Duration : 10 minutes
Directed By : Prabal Chakraborty
Produced By : Sandeep Rudra & Prabal Chakraborty
Cinematography : Soumyadipta Vicky Guin
Actors: Anindita Bose, Pradeep Bhattacherjee, Supratim Roy
Logline of the Film
As a woman gets stranded on a highway at middle of the night, she faces a dilemma to go back to a known shelter where she got physically manhandled or face the consequences to be with a group of unknown miscreants who are lustfully ready to tear her apart .
Synopsis of the Film
A group of migrant workers gather around a fire pit and engages themselves to enjoy Kabir’s Doha . The song describes how the Lord is there to protect us all. An elderly man with a crutch gets up and walks down to a nearby highway. He notices a couple having an heated argument inside their car on the opposite side of the road. As the fight intensifies, the guy slaps the woman. Out of rage and anger, she opens the door and comes out of the car. A few moments later, the man speeds off with the car. Soon she realizes that she is standing at a deserted place in the dead of the night. A series of miscreants tries to harass her as the night progresses. The man on the crutch observes the entire proceedings but fails to help. Few moments later the car from which she got down comes back. She now stands in-between the known man who just humiliated her and the unknown miscreants who are ready to harm her. Tears roll down her cheeks as she struggles to come to terms with the situation .
Director’s Note or Statement on the Film
In life, many times we are faced with a dilemma to choose between two options, both of which are bad. We struggle with our choices but ultimately have to accept the lesser evil unwillingly. This dilemma comes to us in many situations be it choosing between two political parties during elections, between two prospective bad relations, between two job situations or countless other decisions that affect our life in some way or the other . The film tries to underline this theme through a fictionalized story of a woman stranded in a highway. Even though it is a work of fiction, but in reality in every part of India
and also throughout the world, women feel unsafe outside their shelter. Many times we wonder why these woman succumb to the abuses and decides to staywith the the tormenter ? But have we ever thought if the outside society is ready to provide a safe shelter ? There are many reasons why even after domestic violence, woman choses to be in the same home but the deep rooted cause is
the lack of social security that the world has failed to provide women in general. The film starts with a Kabir’s Doha which praises the lord and suggests how he is there is to protect us if we surrender the reigns of our life to him. The situation of the woman depicted in the film immediately after that tries to highlight that fallacy. This short film is an attempt to showcase in a crisp way the dichotomy of life, be it religious, political or social.
Our 10-minute film will be the opening piece in its slot,
Screening Date: 7th July
Time: 4:30 PM
Venue: Nandan 3
Entry: Free & Open to All
Each day of the festival also features a Meet the Director session from 4:00 PM to 4:30 PM, offering a wonderful chance to engage with the minds behind the films. 
Hope to see you there! 
