Cannes Contender ‘Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know’ & Beyond: Chidananda S Naik’s Promising Student Films
The year 2024 marks a fortunate moment for Indian cinema as it has a noticeable presence at the Cannes Film Festival. Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light (2024), in Malayalam and Hindi, has the distinction of being the first Indian film selected to compete for the prestigious Palme d’Or in the past three decades — following Shaji N Karun’s Swaham (1994). Yet another Indian film Santosh (2024) in Hindi directed by Sandhya Suri vies for recognition in the Un Certain Regard section. The 4K restoration of Sham Benegal’s Manthan (1976) has veen selcted for the Classics section. It’ll have the official red-carpet world premiere. There are a couple of Indian films which are in independent sections running parallel to the main Cannes festival. Additionally, Chidananda S Naik’s Kannada short film, Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know (2023), has been chosen to participate in the La Cinef section of the main festival, which showcases and promotes films from various film schools worldwide, fostering emerging talent. The jury will present the La Cinef awards during a ceremony on May 23 at the Bunuel Theatre.
Pursuing his passion for filmmaking after completing MBBS at Mysore Medical College, Dr Chidananda S Naik studied Direction at Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. The short fiction film Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know, created as part of FTII’s year end coordinated exercise of TV- wing, runs for 15 minutes. Directed by Naik, the film features a talented team: Suraj Thakur (Camera), Manoj V (Editing), and Abhishek Kadam (Sound). Sunflowers Were the First ones to Know narrates the story of an elderly woman who goes away with a prized rooster so that the sun will never rise again. This plunges the entire village into darkness, forcing the villagers to embark on a search for the missing rooster. Shot entirely at night, the film evokes a mysterious ambiance. While it may be loosely categorized as magic realism, Naik draws on a common saying in Kannada (“imagining that the sun will not rise if you take away your rooster”). This captivating film breaks free from typical art-house tropes, charting a fresh path.
In Bhule Chuke Tules (2023) which translates to ‘To the Forgotten’, a 12 minutes documentary in the Gorboli language, Naik explores his personal identity. As a member of the Banjara tribe — a nomadic community of traders — he visits a Banjara settlement, capturing its songs, folk tales and the tribe’s history as recounted by the elders. The film discovers beauty within the humble settlement through its striking visuals. It serves as a record of the community’s life, preserved only through oral literature passed down through generations.
Naik’s very first exercise film at FTII titled Trishna (2022) meaning ‘Longing’ hinted at his talent. This 5-minute Marathi film imaginatively delves into a young boy’s world, drawing on mythology. Madhav, an 8-year-old who has spent his days playing in his village, is sent to town for schooling. Naik skillfully avoids the common cinematic trope of portraying children as overly cute or speaking like adults. Living with his admonishing aunt and uncle, he yearns for home. When the teacher scolds Madhav, the camera focuses solely on the boy, showing what he is going through. While the elders advise the boy against lying, the film’s mythological undertones offer an intriguing dimension.
