After its international premiere in Un Certain Regard, Sandhya Suri’s Cannes standout film “Santosh” has found a home in North America with Metrograph Pictures.
The movie will be released in theatres by Metrograph Pictures; further information about the release date will be disclosed later. In foreign markets, the film is distributed by MK2 Films.
Suri’s narrative feature debut, “Santosh,” comes after his blockbuster documentary “I For India” was a Sundance competitor. Her short film “The Field” won Best International Short at Toronto in 2018 and was nominated for a 2019 BAFTA for Best Short Film.
After its Cannes premiere, “Santosh” garnered positive reviews. Variety referred to it as a “whip-smart film” that “speaks the language of a fiercely feminist empowerment saga.”
The movie centres on Santosh (Shahana Goswami), a recent widow who, in the rural harshlands of Northern India, inherits her husband’s police constable position through a government programme. She is taken under the wing of the affable feminist inspector Sharma (Sunita Rajwar) when a low-caste girl is murdered.
Head of Metrograph Pictures David Laub remarked, “‘Santosh’ is a brilliant film, a deeply layered, sharply modern look at gender, class, race, and morality all woven into the suspense and mystery of a procedural thriller.” “A major new filmmaking voice,” according to the CEO, “tells a riveting story set in contemporary India but which resonates much more broadly for its complexity, intelligence, and insightfulness.” Suri is set in contemporary India. “
Mk2 represented the filmmakers in the negotiations. “Santosh” was supported by the Institut Français, Aide aux Cinémas du monde – CNC – and BBC Film in co-production with ZDF/ARTE, in collaboration with Haut et Court Distribution. The BFI also awarded National Lottery funding for the film. Production firms include Haut et Court in France, Razor Film in Germany, and Good Chaos in partnership with Suitable Pictures in India.
Three films backed by the British Film Institute (BFI) have their world premieres at Cannes this year: “Bird” directed by Andrea Arnold, “Sister Midnight” by Karan Kandhari, and “Kneecap,” which received the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival’s NEXT strand, among other films.
