Private Project

Ignorance Isn't Bliss

A film about navigating friendships and life in general in light of the BLM movement and Co-vid 19.

  • Kodhai Thirumalai
    Director
  • Kodhai Thirumalai
    Writer
  • Akira Shelton
    Key Cast
    "Tayshia"
  • Gigi Forbriger
    Key Cast
    "Aurora"
  • Angela Tucker
    Key Cast
    "Nia"
  • Alicia Buenaventura
    Key Cast
    "Janaki"
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 42 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 10, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    600 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital,
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Tulane University
Director Biography - Kodhai Thirumalai

Kodhai Thirumalai was raised in Bangalore, India, and came to the US to pursue higher education in Film Production and Economics. She is a recent graduate of Tulane University, excited to kick start her filmmaking career. She aims to create films that represent Indian culture authentically, and also films that speak to social justice issues. In addition to being a filmmaker, she is also a painter, classically trained dancer, and singer.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I made this film “Ignorance Isn’t Bliss” because I think it carries an extremely important message --- that it is important to be an active proponent of change, in the right way, understanding the implications of your actions. This message is particularly important in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement which shed further light on the racial inequalities within the US, and the pandemic, which brought with it many other struggles (including but not limited to financial ones).

My film is first and foremost about female POC representation in the media; one of my main characters, and 2 of the supporting characters are all women of colour. Being a woman of colour myself, this representation is very important to me. My film is also a coming-of-age film of sorts, delving into self-doubt and introspection that I myself faced over this past summer. I went to the protests and constantly faced internal conflict – was I fully understanding why I was going to the protests? Was there anything I could be doing to make more of a change? Was it better to distance myself from the movement in order to preserve my mental health?

I hope that this film takes a more nuanced approach towards race and gender than many films – one that does not only represent people of colour with respect to their struggles and pain, making this their primary identity, but rather also embraces them taking matters into their own hands, with help and without it.

In this age of the internet and activism, where everything feels so disconnected, I think it’s important that we start a conversation about both the possibilities and the limitations when it comes to creating change within the United States.