Sexy Durga is a story of fear and violence in contemporary India. A spectacular combination of road movie aesthetics with horror and ethnographic documentary brought its maker the main prize at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.
In the night, a man and a woman are trying to get a ride. They seem to be on the run and they really need to make it onto a train. The woman’s name is Durga, which is also the name of one of the most revered goddesses in Hinduism. She comes from the north and does not understand the local dialect. The man’s name is Kabeer and he seems to be Muslim, which means he’s probably not welcome in the area. A car stops: two young men offer them a lift. The lovers need to decide if they want to stay on the road at night or join the suspicious couple.
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s highly stylized third feature, blending elements of a road movie, horror, and documentary sparked a scandal in India but was warmly received at the Rotterdam Festival, bringing its maker the Hivos Tiger Award.
Sexy Durga
Director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan
India, 2017. 85 minutes
16+
