When memory meets cinema: 8 at KIFF

The 31st Kolkata International Film Festival has selected 8, the only black-and-white film in its Bengali Panorama section, directed by acclaimed indie filmmaker Amitabha Chatterji. Known for award-winning works like Manohar & I, Into the Mist, and Adim, Chatterji’s latest project ventures into uncharted cinematic territory — blurring the boundaries between fiction, memory, and reality.
8 is a deeply personal, experimental film that chronicles eight years of the director’s creative and emotional journey. Featuring only two actors and Chatterji himself behind the camera, the film interweaves clips from his earlier works with unscripted monologues and conversations. It captures themes of love, loneliness, and creative struggle through a raw, self-reflective lens.
Shot in a non-linear style, 8 employs cinéma vérité techniques, handheld cinematography, and natural sound to evoke the fluidity of memory. More than a filmmaker’s diary, the film mirrors the audience’s own introspection, inviting them to confront their emotional fragments.
By daring to expose his vulnerabilities and creative anxieties, Amitabha Chatterji introduces Bengali cinema to a rare form of “personal filmmaking,” making 8 a standout experiment in the evolving landscape of contemporary Indian cinema.