Self-taught filmmaker Ajitpal Singh’s debut feature as a writer-director, Fire In The Mountains , will have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival 2021 in the World Cinema Dramatic competition. The film, produced by Jar Pictures, is the only Indian film among the 10 films in the section, which presents emerging filmmakers around the world who offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.
Due to COVID-19, Sundance Film Festival 2021 will be held virtually from January 28 to February 3. The 82-minute intense family drama, Fire In The Mountains, is about a mother who toils to save money to build a road in a remote Himalayan village to take her wheelchair-bound son for physiotherapy, even as her husband believes that a shamanic ritual ( jagar ) is the only remedy. Vinamrata Rai plays the central role of the mother along with Chandan Bisht and Sonal Jha. The film will also introduce first-time actors from Uttarakhand: Harshita Tewari and Mayank Singh Jaira.
Ajitpal is excited about the Sundance premiere of his debut feature. He says, “It’s been a difficult year for all of us and I am so glad that it is ending on a positive note with hopes of vaccine for everyone. On a personal note, I am thrilled that my first feature is making its world premiere at this prestigious film festival. Sundance has been a dream since 2012 when my first script was selected for Sundance Mumbai Mantra script lab, and I experienced their love and warmth for independent artistes. This dream would have remained a dream if my producer Ajay Rai had not shown faith in me.”
Talking about the inspiration behind this film, he says, “The idea of Fire In The Mountains came from a personal tragedy. My cousin, Amarjeet Kaur, died because her husband didn’t take her to the hospital thinking she was possessed by a ghost. The film is about the clash of two world views — traditional and modern, with a strong woman at the heart of it. I hope my film will make people ask some relevant questions about their blind faith.”
Artistes from several countries have collaborated on the film which includes the veteran French DoP Dominique Colin (who collaborated with many auteur filmmakers including Gaspar Noë and Cédric Klapisch) who shot the film, Simon Price from New Zealand edited the film along with Parikshhit Jha, and the music is composed by Arnaud van Vliet of South Africa. The Indian crew includes the production designer Mausam Aggarwal, sound recordist Kanishk Bhoklay, sound designer Mohandas VP, costume designer Karishma Vyas and casting director Taran Bajaj. Additional dialogues are written by Uttarakhand based actor-writer Sudarshan Juyal.
