Monsoon,’ by award-winning director Sturla Gunnarsson and produced by Ina Fichman of Intuitive Pictures, is a cinematic look at the seasonal weather system that effects the varied cultures of India, shaping the conditions of existence for its billion inhabitants.
Gunnarsson wanted to capture the epic scale of the monsoon on the Indian landscape, while maintaining an intimate sense of those affected by it. All decisions were governed by those two criteria – the epic and the human.
Winner of the People’s Choice Award at TIFF Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival 2015 and Winner of the Polly Krakora Award for Artistry in Film at the prestigious Environmental Film Festival in Washington, D.C., Monsoon, is part road movie, spectacle, human drama, and personal reflection of chaos, creation and faith.
“Monsoon is my love letter to India,” says Gunnarsson. “I’ve been romanced by the idea of monsoon since I can remember and have long dreamed of experiencing the monsoon. So, when producer Ina Fichman of Intuitive Pictures offered me the opportunity to make this film, I jumped on it.”
Monsoon was filmed over the course of the 2013 monsoon season and charts the system’s huge path across the Indian sub-continent to the world’s rainiest place at the base of the Himalaya Range in Meghalaya, where the monsoon ends its annual journey.
Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival (VISAFF) is co-hosting the showing of Monsoon.
According to VISAFF 2015 Co-Producers, Mannu Sandhu and Jessie Lehail “This year’s festival is focused on engaging with the community throughout the year and rebuilding the festival to ensure VISAFF continues to bridge the gap between South Asian and mainstream audiences. This year VISAFF is committed to serving as a launching pad for integration through celebration and education throughout the year.”
Monsoon will run at Surrey’s Cineplex Odeon Strawberry Hill Cinemas and Vancouver’s Scotiabank Theatre starting on Friday, April 24.
For more information, please visit www.monsoonmovie.com.