Hello friends!
I am making a brave film on sexuality. It is about the anxieties of men on sexuality. It gives an inside view of men's secret world!
Men have so many expectations to fulfill; most of them are practically impossible. but the pressure on men to perform on and off the bed is immense.
It is NOT actually about men. It is about masculinity, the idea called man. Who is a man? what are his ideals? are they ethical? are they cruel?
There are many masculinities among men. There are many masculinites among women too!
WELCOME TO THE RIDDLE!
The film will be shot in three phases.
We are collecting contribution for the first phase which will be shot in Chennai in Sep-Oct 2013.
JOIN THE RIDDLE MOVEMENT!
www.theriddlefilm.com
The Riddle
A film by Amudhan R.P.
75 min; English & Tamil; 2014; India
Produced and directed by Amudhan R.P.
Camera: Sunny Joseph
Screenplay: Amudhan R.P., Aniruddhan Vasudevan & Pritham Chakravarthy
Script Consultant: Gillian Goslinga
Editing: Gopeemohan
Music: Siddharth Kumar
Production Design: Trotsky Maruthu
Art: Jai
Costume Design: Dhatsha Pillai
Production Controller: Sathish Kumar
a MARUPAKKAM film
Co produced by
Cuion Technologies Private Ltd
Pedestrian Pictures
Short synopsis:
The film is about 3 men and their masculinities. The three stories are told parallel to each other.
A is a 40 year old man, unmarried, virgin and a frustrated government employee. He had been busy in earning and marrying off his 4 sisters (one eloped) and he did not have time to marry. His sex life revolves around ogling at women in public, flirting with maids, watching porn films and masturbation. When he decides to break his cycle of despair, he becomes an infamous hero.
B is a 20 year old man, a child sex abuse survivor, a good dancer; but a guilt and shame filled college student. Although his girlfriend tries to cheer him up he goes into the cycle of hallucination often. When he faces another adult rape, his girlfriend urges him to retaliate. Meanwhile he starts teaching dance to the boys who work at a graveyard.
C is a 30 year old man, a gay, a garland vendor and a romantic. His love life explodes in public toilets, beaches and cinemas. Although his father continues to oppose his homosexual explorations, C falls in love with a married man. Kanchana, a flower vendor and his friend at the market, makes sure C’s love succeeds.
A's story will be set in Chennai. B's story will be set in Hyderabad. C's story will be set in Bangalore.
The film will be multilingual film with English as a main language.
Director’s Statement:
Why a film on men?
I am making a film on sexuality and the anxieties men have about it. Through the three stories we shall try to understand the various masculinities that operate among men and around men.
The film will give us an opportunity to debate and discuss the various levels of pressure that the men face every day and kind of violence men face from the fellow men. The film will indirectly question the male bonding across the caste, class and linguistic barriers against women.
As more and more women are coming to work in this era of globalisation, as the traditional equations are facing serious threats from the changes, men who have been enjoying the power so far struggle to respond it to it positively.
As we see a steep rise in violence on women in urban centres, it is imperative for us to understand and address the insecurities of "globalised" Indian men; we should be able to connect the sudden increase of acid attacks, rapes, child abuses to the bruised and beaten up men's ego which thrives on false entitlement of power over women.
I am dealing with three stories which will show the inside view of men's world and as a man who wants to work towards gender equality I am trying to betray my tribe by blowing the whistle!
Amudhan R.P.
The film will be in English for an all India release! and a world wide release of course!
About the director
Amudhan R.P. (42) is a filmmaker from Chennai. He has made 18 documentaries including Shit, Notes from the Crematorium, Radiation Stories and Mercury in the Mist.
He founded and organises Madurai International Documentary and Short Film Festival, Chennai International Documentary and Short Film Festival and Chennai Monthly Screenings.
He makes films in cinema verite style with an interventionist tone. His films have been screened at many film schools, campaigns, discussions, human rights forums and film festivals.
The Riddle is his first fiction film.
