MoMA premieres three short films by Payal Kapadia—the first two made while she was a student at the Film and Television Institute of India—in which hypnotic, dreamlike sounds and visions produce strange encounters. All films written and directed by Kapadia and in Hindi with English subtitles, except where noted. Program 58 min.
And What Is the Summer Saying? 2018. In a remote village near a jungle that resonates with the spirits of animals, rocks, and trees, women are heard whispering about their lost loves, a young man searches for honey, and a strange smoke emanates from the ground, “like the dream of time gone by” (Payal Kapadia). World premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. 23 min.
Afternoon Clouds. 2017. Kaki, a 70-year-old widow, lives with her Nepali caretaker Malti in Mumbai. One afternoon, as a flower blossoms on the balcony, men in the corridor spray mosquito repellant that gives Kaki bad dreams and Malti unexpectedly encounters a boy from her hometown. World premiered at Cinefondation Cannes. In Hindi, Nepali; English subtitles. 17 min.
The Last Mango Before the Monsoon. 2015. In an almost mystical forest, two technicians set up cameras to capture animal movements at night and a woman yearns for her late husband. Winner of FIPRESCI prize at the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen. 18 min.