9:30 pm
Thursday, November 10
Roxie Theater
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Director: Ajay Naidu
Country/Year: US, 2010
Running Time: 77 mins
Language: In English
Format: Digital
Actress Heather Burns, Actress Reena Shah, Actor Atul Ohri, and Producers Nina Spensely and Angelo Fabara, in Person
Ashes, short for Ashish (Ajay Naidu), is a small-time New York City pot dealer. He is also the primary caregiver for his mentally ill older brother Kartik (Faran Tahir), who has just returned home from a mental health facility. With a sometimes tenuous grasp on reality, Kartik clings to his brother and his girlfriend Bettina, a fellow patient from the facility, as his battle for sanity parallels Ashes’ struggle with the world of crime. Determined not to deal “hard stuff,” Ashes nonetheless is drawn deeper and deeper into the world of gangsters and heroin. There appears to be almost no reprieve from the grime and danger of the New York that Ashes and Kartik inhabit; their only solace comes in their brotherhood.
Shot entirely on location in New York, this soulful debut conveys the realism of Ashes’ world under Naidu’s assured direction and smoky palette. Listen closely for a razor-sharp score by Karsh Kale that sets the tone in a frequently unexpected manner.
Festivals: New York International Latino Film Festival; Boston International Film Festival; Chicago South Asian Film Festival; London Asian Film Festival; India International Film Festival of Tampa; New York Indian Film Festival
Awards: Queens World Film Festival – Best of Fest |
