Experiencing Interruptions?

DUST

DUST tells the story of intertwining lives set against the maoist conflict/ left wing insurgency  in central India. It's a story of loss and displacement, of love, loyalty and ideals. Poetic and political, DUST gives a glimpse into a people's struggle that rarely gets attention in the mainstream media, yet has shaped the lives of thousands living in the subcontinent.

  • Udita Bhargava
    Director
  • Udita Bhargava
    Writer
  • Unafilm
    Producer
    Heli, A Blast
  • Morten Holst
    Key Cast
    "David"
    A Royal Affair
  • Vinay Pathak
    Key Cast
    "Dr. Sharda"
    Bheja Fry
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 20 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    February 8, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    150,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany
  • Country of Filming:
    India
  • Language:
    Hindi
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1:2.35
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • 69th Berlinale Internationale Festspiele Berlin
    Berlin
    Germany
    February 8, 2019
    World Premiere
    Official Selection: New German Cinema
Director Biography - Udita Bhargava

DUST, Udita Bhargava’s first feature film premiered at the 69th Berlinale. Her short films have screened at film festivals across the world. Her last short film, IMRAAN, C/O CARROM CLUB (2014) won the 3SAT award at the Oberhausen Film Festival and was acquired by Germany’s ZDF/3sat. Udita has studied film directing at Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf and worked as a camera assistant, stills photographer and post-production assistant on several international productions including Danny Boyle’s SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (2008), Lars von Trier’s ANTICHRIST (2009) and Mira Nair’s THE MIGRATION (2008). She holds a Master’s Degree in mass communication and a Bachelor’s Degree in English literature. She is an alumni of Berlinale Talents and of the Into the Wild Mentoring Programme.

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Director Statement

DUST is an attempt to give a human face to a conflict that has consumed thousands of lives and continues to shape our destiny in visible and invisible ways. It is specially relevant at a time when the rise of nationalist right in India threatens to erase all forms of dissent under the garb of tacking 'the maoist threat'. In August 2018, poets, lawyers, civil society activists were arrested and accused of being maoist collaborators. Branded as 'urban naxals', they are latest targets of a war that has been waging at the heart of India. I firmly believe our lives and destinies on this planet are deeply interconnected. Even though the left wing (maoist) insurgency in India might be distant from the audience's own world, the stories told in DUST are a refection of the reality we commonly inhabit today.