Screening
Asian New Force Category Finalist
The Manliest Man
Anuj Gulati
India / Col / 22’ 29” / In Hindi with English subtitles
When the village potter fails to produce a son, the community chief calls for a “manlier” man to help the family bear a male offspring.
The Manliest Man revolves around the premise of female infanticide, a practice still prevalent in remote corners of India. After shooting a documentary on the same subject, I felt the need to narrate the story of the insecurity of a village Chief who becomes a victim of the very practice that he propagates. The challenge was to not treat it with a heavy hand. It was an interesting experiment.