Kanya

A coming-of-age drama about an adolescent girl growing up between the values of occidental and traditional culture, whose aspirations of becoming a competitive swimmer takes an unexpected turn when she gets her first period.

  • Apoorva Satish
    Director
  • Apoorva Satish
    Writer
  • Vidhya Iyer
    Writer
  • Apoorva Satish
    Producer
  • FAMU International, Prague
    Producer
  • Michal Sikora
    Producer
  • Tarunya Satish
    Key Cast
    "Kanya"
  • Harish Kumar
    Key Cast
    "Brother"
  • Mona Kakkade
    Key Cast
    "Mother"
  • Balaji Rajashekar
    Key Cast
    "Father"
  • Pedro Carneiro
    First Assistant Director
  • Faraz Alam
    Director of Photography
  • Jennifer Margaret Bailey
    Production Designer
  • Vojtech Zavadil
    Sound Designer
  • Lucie Hecht
    Editor
  • Susha
    Music
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Coming-of-age, Drama
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 42 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 31, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    42,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    India
  • Country of Filming:
    Czech Republic, India
  • Language:
    Tamil
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital | Red Code 5K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Film and Tv School of the Academy of Performing Arts, Prague
  • Student Academy Awards
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Official Shortlist
  • Magnesia Award for Best Student Film
    Prague
    Czech Republic
    Official Shortlist
  • Busan International Film Festival
    Busan
    Korea, Republic of
    October 29, 2020
    World Premiere
    Nomination - Sonje Award / Asian Short Film Competition
  • Raindance Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    October 29, 2020
    European Premiere
    Altered States - INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION (Student Academy Awards® Qualifying)
  • Interfilm - International Short Film Festival
    Berlin
    Germany
    November 10, 2020
    German Premiere
    Best Sound Design / INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION (Student Academy Awards® Qualifying)
  • IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival
    Sofia
    Bulgaria
    February 27, 2021
    Bulgarian Premiere
    STUDENT COMPETITION (Student Academy Awards® Qualifying)
  • Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia
    Tokyo
    Japan
    June 11, 2021
    Japanese Premiere
    Official Selection - Asia International Competition
  • Bengaluru International Short Film Film Festival
    Bangalore
    India
    August 28, 2021
    Karnataka Premiere
    Official Selection - International Competition
  • Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival
    New York
    United States
    October 23, 2021
    New York Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival
    Rhode Island
    United States
    August 9, 2021
    Rhode Island
    Official Selection - International Competition
  • Bogotà Short Film Festival
    Bogotà Short
    Colombia
    December 8, 2020
    South American Premiere
    Official Selection - Especiales
  • Filmschoolfest Munich
    Munich
    Germany
    November 14, 2021
    Munich
    Official Selection - International Short Film Competition
  • Dharamshala International Film Festival
    McLeod Ganj
    India
    October 29, 2020
    Indian Premiere
    Official Selection - Short Film Competition
  • Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles
    Los Angeles
    United States
    May 20, 2021
    North American Premiere
    Official Selection - Childhood on the Edge Program
  • PragueShorts Film Festival (by Karlovy Vary)
    Prague
    Czech Republic
    June 18, 2021
    Czech Premiere
    National competition
  • Neisse Film festival
    Saxony
    Germany
    September 16, 2021
    German-Polish-Czech border triangle
    Official Selection
  • FRISS HÚS film festival
    Budapest
    Hungary
    June 2, 2021
    Hungarian
    Best of FAMU
  • Zsigmond Vilmos International Film Festival
    Budapest
    Hungary
    September 21, 2021
    Student Jury Award for Best Cinemtography
  • BuSho International Short Film Festival
    Budapest
    Hungary
    August 31, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Indian Film Festival of Melbourne
    Melbourne
    Australia
    August 12, 2021
    Australian
    Official Selection
  • Festival Cinema et Droits Humains
    Paris
    France
    June 17, 2021
    Official Selection
  • River to River Florence Indian Film Festival
    Florence
    Italy
    December 3, 2021
    Italian
    Official Selection
  • Art House Asia Film Festival
    Kolkatta
    India
    Kolkatta
    Official Selection - Short Film Competition
Distribution Information
  • Alexandra Hroncova (alexandra.hroncova@famu.cz)
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Apoorva Satish

Born and raised in Chennai, a colorful conglomerate of urban villages, Apoorva was fascinated by the power of Tamil filmdom in state politics, igniting a passion for creating films that are socially and politically aware. To hone her creative skills as a filmmaker, Apoorva travelled extensively to work on fiction and non-fiction projects. In 2016, she was selected to attend the International Filmmaking Academy in Bologna under the tutorship of Academy Award-winning director Danis Tanovic and Academy Award nominee, Claudia Llosa. Apoorva received her MFA degree from the Film & TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts (Prague. Her graduation film Kanya premiered at Busan International Film Festival (2020) in the Wide Angle: Asian short film competition, followed by a successful festival run across the world. Kanya was also shortlisted for the 2021 student academy awards placing her in the top 7% of the total number of entrants from across the world. Apoorva's passion lies in telling personal stories around socially relevant contemporary ideas and themes. She is currently based in Prague, developing her debut feature film while exploring other short and long-format film projects in India as well as the Czech Republic.

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Director Statement

Gender stereotypes have a significant impact on girls, especially during puberty, as this is the time when they learn what it means to be a woman through labels laid down by society - such as beauty and subservience. The onset of puberty triggers increased pressure from society to conform to hegemonic sex- typed identities and roles. Youngsters become primarily aware of these gender stereotypes and roles during this age and begin to assume and accept them as “universal truths”. Consequently, girls’ struggle with self-esteem and self- confidence twice as much as boys during puberty because society sends out a message that vigour, power and authority are for men, not women. These stereotypes not only promote inequality between sexes but also encourages youngsters to believe and accept imbalances in power within relationships later in their lives. Gender stereotypes are so deep-rooted in our culture that they even become a part of our language. Empowering girls during this time of their lives when confidence is at its lowest, would be powerful, relevant, and purposeful. Besides, the world is at a turning point where gender equality is not just a women’s issue anymore but a human rights issue. Therefore, it’s also important to instil a sense of equality in the minds of not just adolescent girls, but boys as well by supporting them to understand the effect gender stereotypes can have on their options and roles in sport, at school and within their families. This aspect will also help them develop realistic expectations about future relationships based on mutual respect and equity. Kanya is a story of liberation and the phenomenon of moving beyond the conventional status of a woman in a patriarchal community.