CIFF : Village Rockstars

Dhunu doesn’t behave like the other girls in her village. She climbs trees, runs barefoot, and hangs out with boys instead of girls… something that often gets her scolded by neighbors and elders. Unconcerned with her reputation, Dhunu continues to meet her friends each day after school. Together, they create fake instruments out of styrofoam and form their very own fantasy rock band. After seeing a comic strip portraying kids in a band with real instruments, Dhunu begins to dream of ditching the fantasy band to form a real band and starts working to save money for a guitar. But growing up in poverty in rural India poses big challenges when trying to assemble a rock band. Despite the obstacles, Dhunu forges ahead with optimism and resilience. Capturing the sweet innocence of childhood dreams, VILLAGE ROCKSTARS follows Dhunu’s journey in this tender coming-of-age story. Beautifully immersive, VILLAGE ROCKSTARS creates a world so authentic, it often feels like an observational documentary rather than a narrative film. (In Assamese with subtitles) —G.S.