FRED’s Matt Micucci interviews Ruchika Oberoi, who presented her feature directorial debut named Island City at the Venice Days section of the 72nd Venice Film Festival.
Ruchika explains in detail the nature of the film and the themes and issues from which she drew inspiration. She also tells us about the techniques she used in making the film, and also about the structure of the film which is clearly split up into three episodes.
ISLAND CITY: The film follows three stories set in Mumbai. The first one is about a middle-aged man who wins the office “Fun Committee Award”, which entitles him to a whole day full of fun. He is most reluctant to leave the safety of his cubicle, but he has to. The second story begins with a domineering pater familias, Anil, who is on life support. Seeking some relief, his family decides to buy a TV, which Anil had banned; now, every night, the family plugs into a popular soap. The third one centers on Aarti, whose repetitive existence has slowly made her more and more mechanical and numb. Then one day there arrives a most intimate letter and everything changes.
Jackie Chan will receive the 2025 Pardo alla Carriera at the Locarno Film Festival. The beloved action star will also present screenings of Project A and Police Story, followed by a public panel on August 10.
Juliette Binoche leads a distinguished jury featuring Halle Berry, Payal Kapadia, Alba Rohrwacher, Leïla Slimani, Dieudo Hamadi, Hong Sangsoo, Carlos Reygadas, and Jeremy Strong at the 78th Festival de Cannes.
For the first time in its history, the Cannes Film Festival reveals two official posters for its 78th edition, inspired by Claude Lelouch’s 1966 Palme d’Or-winning masterpiece A Man and a Woman.