PRESS RELEASE-TORONTO, JANUARY 29TH, 2007
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
AMU opens Toronto, Friday February 16th, 2007
Montreal & Vancouver, February 23rd, 2007
“AMU”

Straight from its triumphant tour of the world’s top tier film festivals, Shonali Bose’s Amu will begin its North American release on February 16th in Toronto, followed by Vancouver, Montreal and 10 other Canadian cities. Acclaimed at the Toronto and Berlin film festivals Amu is being released in Canada by the Los Angeles based Jonai Productions. Emerging Pictures in New York will release the film across the US this spring.

Amu is the story of Kaju, a 21 year-old Indian American woman whose trip to India takes a dramatic turn as she discovers that secrets and lies obscure her past.  As Kaju strips away the deceit to confront the violent, fearful events of her childhood, the film uncovers one of the worst genocides in Indian history – the 1984 massacre of over 5,000 Sikhs in 3 days, in the capital city of India.

Because of its controversial subject matter, Amu faced a host of obstacles along the way – from a threatening message from a prominent politician to the strict scrutiny of the Indian Censor Board. The Board removed 5 lines of dialog that indicted the Indian government and police in the massacre. They also gave the film an R rating on the grounds that young people should not know this history.

In spite of this, the film’s release in India was a spectacular success. It played to packed houses around the country, out-grossing major Bollywood films. It went on to receive many Indian and international awards including two National Awards (India’s highest honour in film) and the prestigious FIPRESCI Critics Award.

Amu’s release in Canada is itself an outcome of a unique grassroots movement by the Indo Canadian community, committed to ensure that the truth of ’84 finally be revealed to the world.

Written and directed by Shonali Bose, Amu stars Konkona Sen Sharma, a rising star of Indian cinema and Brinda Karat, a well-known activist, seen for the first time on screen.  Amu is Shonali’s debut feature film, the product of a passionate political and personal commitment, produced by her husband Bedabrata Pain and herself.

The film is primarily in English with some Indian languages (subtitled). It is 98 mins long, rated PG in Canada.

www.amuthefilm.com

Please Note: The Director will be available for press interviews in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.  Please call to arrange interviews. Press screening information to follow.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT ERIC BALL AT INDEPENDENT BOOKING
 1-888-354-0729, FAX: 519-740-6374, EMAIL [email protected]