National award-winning filmmaker Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s third Bengali feature film Once Upon A Time in Calcutta has been selected in the Orizzonti (Horizons) section of the 78th Venice International Film Festival.
It is the only film from India to have its world premiere at the prestigious film festival, to be held from September 1 to 11. This year’s line-up of the festival was unveiled by artistic director Alberto Barbera and Roberto Cicutto, president of La Biennale di Venezia on Monday.
Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s debut film Labour of Love won the FEDEORA award for the best debut at the festival’s Venice Days section in 2014, while his second film, Jonaki premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2018. Labour of Love also won the National Film Award for the best first film of a director.
Inspired by true events, the film is the director’s homage to Calcutta and follows the life of a bereaved mother desperately trying to find a new identity, love and independence, but soon realizes that she is not the only scavenger in a city brimming with hunger.
“Venice is a dream festival for any filmmaker and we are extremely grateful and excited to be back with a Bengali film about the city, especially on the 100 birth centenary of Satyajit Ray,” Sengupta said in a statement.
He calls the film a culmination of personal feelings and emotions for the city and its people, especially as it tries to catch up to the rapidly changing world.
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