Our film’s screening at the Venice International Film Festival is huge for Gujarati cinema: Mitra Gadhvi

In July, when he got to know that his Gujarati short film Anita (written and directed by New York based filmmaker Sushma Khadepaun and co-starring Aditi Vasudev) will have its world premiere in competition at the prestigious 2020 Venice International Film Festival, an ecstatic Mitra Gadhvi had told us, “Given the travel restrictions right now, I am not sure what the situation is going to be in September. But I really want to be a part of this prestigious event, as it would be a dream come true!” And earlier this week, his dream came true indeed, as Mitra, along with Sushma, Aditi and the film’s cinematographer Nikhil Arolkar, attended the world premiere of the film, which was shot at Tithal, Valsad, last year. Talking to us from Venice, Mitra shares, “Interacting with some amazing creative minds from across the globe was an amazing experience. This will certainly rank as one of the most unforgettable moments of my career, and it will also remain an important milestone for Gujarati art/independent cinema, which is a very new space right now. Showcasing our Gujarati short film at the festival felt magical!”

‘Being on the red carpet was a surreal feeling’

Just before the premiere of our film, we were taken to a lounge where we were introduced to the other filmmakers and actors. Being on the red carpet, with more than 100 photographers clicking our pictures, was a surreal feeling. We also got very good feedback for our film and once the screening was over, more people started recognizing us, which felt great. I have received numerous messages from my friends in the Gujarati film industry and right now, I feel over the moon. I have also watched a few other films at the festival, and it has been a truly enriching experience. Although ours is a short film, I think this recognition will help

Gujarati cinema

in the long run.

‘I felt relieved when I finally boarded the flight from Mumbai’

I drove down from Vadodara to Mumbai about two weeks in advance, as there were a lot of formalities to be completed before our visas got approved. However, the authorities were cooperative and understanding. We had to get a COVID test done before we left Mumbai, and also after reaching Venice. We (him, Aditi and Nikhil) boarded the Mumbai-Frankfurt flight on 9th September, and I felt relieved when I finally boarded the flight. While it was a long flight (nine hours), several seats were empty and the journey was comfortable. Nobody took off their masks during the entire flight, except for the time when food was served. People are very cautious while travelling these days, and a few passengers wore PPE kits too. After a layover of five hours at the Frankfurt airport, we boarded the flight to Venice, which was a short journey of about an hour.