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A talented swimmer, teenage Kanya aspires to pursue competitive swimming professionally. Her world collapses, however, when she gets her first period. Her family demands that she adapt to social norms, meaning she must give up this manly sport and accept a more demure feminine role. The film looks at Kanya’s natural maturing along with her physical and psychological transformation, aspects utterly neglected by those who are meant to care for her. Will she muster the courage to revolt against the system that wishes to define her?&nbsp; KANYA highlights the line that separates the place of many women in Indian society based on the onset of their menstruation. Although young girls can be relatively free in their behaviour, the shutter comes down sharply on them as soon as they start to menstruate. This sudden clampdown on social behaviour is meant to indicate to society at large that the child is now a woman and, as such, open to marriage offers. The film captures the inner dissonance Kanya experiences at this juncture in her life with stark, arresting visuals and an intimate lens. This&nbsp;film&nbsp;is part of a special program&nbsp;entitled&nbsp;“Childhood on Edge”, curated by the&nbsp;legendary&nbsp;Uma&nbsp;da Cunha, who has been IFFLA’s Programming Advisor since the festival’s inception in 2002. The program features six films&nbsp;with diverse characters on the verge of the momentous transformation from childhood to adulthood.&nbsp; DIRECTOR<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/3434c945bdb7723fb91bfc129fdc4bb5.jpg" width="83" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Born and raised in Chennai, Apoorva was fascinated by the power of Tamil filmdom in state politics, igniting a passion for creating films that are socially and politically aware. In 2016, she was selected to attend the International Filmmaking Academy in Bologna, under the tutorship of award-winning directors Danis Tanovic and Claudia Llosa. Apoorva recently received her MFA degree from the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts, Czech Republic. She is currently based in Prague, developing her debut feature film.

KANYA

An adolescent girl growing up in a traditional Tamil household aspires to become a competitive swimmer, but her life takes an unexpected turn when she gets her first period.

Constantly poked fun at by her classmates because of her unruly hair, Viru wants nothing more than the beautiful set of red ribbons her best friend Bhanu wears on her hair, something her own mother cannot afford. Even though Bhanu regularly prays for her in the temple, Viru is riddled with envy. When an unexpected red stain on her dress makes her the source of even greater ridicule, Viru’s desperation mounts. In India, children tend not to be educated about oncoming signs of adulthood, the repercussions taken for granted. This is especially problematic for a young girl, for whom the sudden tell-tale blood stains on her skirt can be immensely disturbing, interpreted as a sign of ill-health or, worse, bad luck. As a result, menstruation is a time of strain for many girls for whom the sudden displacement from the norms of their prior lives, as well as the abundant limitations imposed on their freedoms, wake them up to the reductive role bestowed upon them by society. RETTAI JADAI&nbsp;explores this time of turmoil for an adolescent girl with sensitivity and vivid color.&nbsp; This&nbsp;film&nbsp;is part of a special program&nbsp;entitled&nbsp;“Childhood on Edge”, curated by the&nbsp;legendary&nbsp;Uma&nbsp;da Cunha, who has been IFFLA’s Programming Advisor since the festival’s inception in 2002. The program features six films&nbsp;with diverse characters on the verge of the momentous transformation from childhood to adulthood.&nbsp; DIRECTORS<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/02fa84b13bd1532e066c31076526419b.jpg" width="71" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Franziska Schönenberger was born in Munich. She studied journalism and media sciences, as well as directing at the University of Television and Film, Munich. Jayakrishnan Subramanian was born in India. He studied art at the Madras University in Chennai, and graphic design at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad. He went on to obtain a masters in media art from the Bauhaus University in Weimar. They directed together the feature-length documentary AMMA AND APPA, which premiered at the Berlinale International Film Festival and toured more than 50 festivals worldwide.THE SHADOWS OF THE DESERT, their second feature documentary, photographed by Christopher Aoun, the two time Academy Award-nominated cinematographer, premiered in competition at DOKFEST Munich. At the moment their narrative debut feature film, BRIDE WITHOUT DOWRY, is in development.&nbsp;

RETTAI JADAI  (THE GIRL WITH THE RED RIBBONS)

Adolescent Viru envies her best friend Bhanu for the beautiful red ribbons she wears on her hair, something she cannot afford. But when an unexpected mishap makes her the source of ridicule at school, Viru will discover what true friendship is made of.

Avinash comes from a well-to-do household in a small town, whereas Bhushan lives with his single mother in a shed on its outskirts. Avinash’s skin tone is lighter, too. These class demarcations are evident, yet the two boys are best friends. As the film opens, the two boys are heading home from school, fervently discussing their favorite topic, soccer. Bhushan, as the better player of the two, gives Avinash some tips to improve his dribbling. All is fine in the world, until Avinash’s elder brother visits from the city with a gift–a fabulous pair of brand-new soccer shoes. It only takes a glance and Bhushan gets overwhelmed by an emotion that has so far been unfamiliar, a sense of envy that gets increasingly intolerable and which will ultimately threaten the boys’ friendship when the pair of shoes goes missing. Set within a lush Gujarat landscape RAMMAT-GAMMAT asks us to consider how class barriers socially condition our young ones to perpetuate existing power structures but, ultimately delivers a tender and potent message about the fortitude of children and the beauty of friendship. This&nbsp;film&nbsp;is part of a special program&nbsp;entitled&nbsp;“Childhood on Edge”, curated by the&nbsp;legendary&nbsp;Uma&nbsp;da Cunha, who has been IFFLA’s Programming Advisor since the festival’s inception in 2002. The program features six films&nbsp;with diverse characters on the verge of the momentous transformation from childhood to adulthood.&nbsp; DIRECTOR<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/2fcb3323ec0a1acc2c1b830930161ae9.jpg" width="65" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Ajitpal Singh is a self-taught filmmaker living in Mumbai. His debut feature as a writer-director FIRE IN THE MOUNTAINS had its world premiere at Sundance 2021 in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. His short film, RAMMAT-GAMMAT, won Special Mention at Oberhausen. His first screenplay was part of Sundance Screenwriters Lab in 2012 where it won the Sundance Grant.

RAMMAT GAMMAT

Their different socioeconomic backgrounds have not stopped two school boys from being best buddies, but a brand new pair of soccer shoes will put their friendship to the test.

Q&A - CHILDHOOD ON EDGE SHORTS

A conversation with directors Franziska Schönenberger, Ajitpal Singh & Apoorva Satish

California

CHILDHOOD ON EDGE SHORTS

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The 19th edition of the festival the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) will be held virtually from May 20-27. The festival features a total of 40 films, including 21 shorts, 3 World, 8 North American, 5 U.S. and 17 Los Angeles premieres, spanning 17 languages, with 16 women directors.