Lights, camera, love

A still from Paanchika

We might have left the idiom ‘misery loves company' incomplete. Because if you leave love unattended, it will find companionship and persevere in the face of conflict, grief, and discrimination. This approach to love is the theme of Love Makes the Cut - a collaborative film festival by Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) and Lekh-Haq, supported by British Council's Our Shared Cultural Heritage programme.

The films curated for the festival are Morome Ringiaai by Chinmoy Barma, Paanchika (Five Pebbles) by Ankit Kothari, and Kinaara by Anureet Watta. With run times ranging from three to 15 minutes, these short films narrate love at different intersections - poverty, caste, gender, and more. Mehreen Yousaf, events coordinator at MAP, says, "The films, although poles apart in their approach to filmmaking, genre and stylistic expressions, represent and imagine manifold expressions of the intricacies, abundance, and connectedness that can be found in the diverse experiences of love."

(Left) Mehreen Yousaf (right)Terence-Hari Fernandes

Love Makes the Cut offers registrants access to watch the films at their own convenience, along with an online sit-down with the films' directors. This panel discussion will deep-dive into the technical and creative aspects of these films, their themes, and the experiences of independent filmmaking. Debangana Kundu, video content creator at MAP, says, "Being an independent filmmaker, I feel the odds are against us all the time. Watching these films and learning about the filmmakers' journeys assured me that there is a space for independent filmmakers to practise their art, and there are people to appreciate it." Terence-Hari Fernandes, founder of Lekh Haq, notes that it will bring about rounded conversations on often-contentious views prevalent in Indian society. Kundu and Fernandes will co-host the discussion.

On: February 20 (viewing access), February 19 (panel discussion)
Log on to: map-india.org or @lekh_haq on Instagram