Indian film on Alzheimer's, 'September 21', to premiere at Cannes market
The film, shot in Hindi and Kannada, centres on an Alzheimer's patient who believes his wife is quarantined next door due to COVID-19, while his estranged son returns home torn between personal ambition and duty
"September 21", the debut feature from 22-year-old writer-director Karen Kshiti Suvarna, will have its world premiere at the Marche du Film at the Festival de Cannes on May 16.
The film, shot in Hindi and Kannada, centres on an Alzheimer's patient who believes his wife is quarantined next door due to COVID-19, while his estranged son returns home torn between personal ambition and duty.
Suvarna, who describes silence and restraint as the film's primary language, said the project is as much about those who care for dementia patients as about the patients themselves.
"The struggles faced by caregivers are much greater than the struggles faced by Alzheimer's patients," the director said in a statement.
In the movie, Pravin Singh Sisodia plays the father living with dementia.
The cast also includes Priyanka Upendra, Zarina Wahab, Ajith Shidhaye and Amit Behl.
The film is written by Rajshekhar, with music by Vinayy Chandraa.
Produced by Visica Films, FMD Productions and HumaraMovie with Filmsmax, the project has been endorsed by the Alzheimer's and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI).
HumaraMovie is partnered by Preety Ali, wife of filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, and has previously backed festival titles "Follower" and "Tortoise Under the Earth".
The film was earlier showcased in the Work-in-Progress section at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.
