LIFF 2025 – Shorts: Strikers, politics, mothers, babies, operations, graves, love; and marriage
Just a few of the themes that surfaced in this year’s New British Asian Shorts at this UK film festival …
IN WHAT is now an annual fixture and certainly since last year – the London Indian Film Festival (LIFF) is showcasing British short films made by South Asian heritage filmmakers based and working primarily in the UK.
Curated by senior programmer Krushil Patel, LIFF screened eight shorts – with a huge range in terms of variety, style and scope.
Here’s our reviews of these short works screened at the NFT 1 at the BFI Southbank on July 19… Watch out for all of them in years to come! There is talent…
In the Wake of remembering – Asian women fightback
Director: Sara Saini
19 mins (English, Punjabi)
THIS is a documentary that focuses on several Asian women workers who went on strike for better pay and conditions in the Burnsall Factory dispute in Birmingham in 1992.
Well assembled, and taken from previous interviews, Saini lets these women talk for themselves, some in Punjabi, some in English.
This is a wonderful document of resistance and courage – these women went on strike and failed to be cowed into submission and what comes across is their strength and willpower and their determination to fight discrimination.
Where we came from – How political is the personal?
Nick Virk
15 mins English/Punjabi
BASED very loosely on a Suella Braverman type of politician, this has the Emmy award winning Archie Panjabi playing the lead.
Set up in a media junket (a round of interviews) context and highly stylised in its framing and production values, this is a film with an interesting idea but the execution is somewhat idiosyncratic – not necessarily a criticism.
Where it sizzles, is when the Foreign Secretary, on an impending visit to her ‘motherland’, says something unexpected about her upbringing – even negative characters need to elicit some level of sympathy.
It’s always the other immigrants who are the problem…
The Visit – Mothers and daughters, beauty and strife
Parmjit Gill
11 mins English
LINKING growing up and growing old or becoming sick and/or both, Parmjit Gill’s film is a tender exploration of identity and the mother-daughter relationship.
Nuanced and calibrated, the mother and daughter spar, laugh and cry.
There’s a clear and easy to follow narrative, even though it isn’t all social realism and some scenes depict our central protagonist’s innermost thoughts.
Interesting and well-acted and about a subject we probably need more on…
Pink or Blue – Girls
Shezah Salam
9 mins English
CHRONICLING an afternoon as three sisters get ready for a baby shower, the pregnant one is adamant about wanting to have a son.
Her sisters politely at first and then – more latterly – forcefully disagree.
High production values and neat set design, gives this a glossy, high end TV look.
On a sensitive subject and covering sisterhood, as well as gender discrimination, this can seem a little – seen that, and needs something else to make viewers sit up and care… a little too comfortable a watch, in some ways.
Bunnyhood – Young girl whose growing up is…
Mansi Maheshwari
10 mins English
ZANY animation and sketchy drawing dominate – and we say that partly tongue in cheek, as it’s charming, unusual and about a true story…apparently.
There’s a lot of energy and fun behind the animation, and you’re pulled in, without worrying too much about where it’s going or what exactly it’s about.
It might not look radical on the face of it and the truth element is perhaps not as shocking or as consequential you might imagine…a young girl is coming to terms with herself… just how, is left to you to determine…
It won third prize in Cannes last year for the film school section entries.
There will come soft rain – Climate catastrophe: grave reaction
Elham Ehsas
15 mins English/Urdu
PERHAPS in story treatment, this is the most accomplished with a clear narrative and individual characterisation that is nuanced and works.
Our lead character is a single Muslim woman who cherished her father and when he passes, she is consumed with grief; she is also concerned about the burial site and the threat of it being submerged by a nearby river.
The idea of digging up her father’s grave and moving it drive the narrative.
It is a little lyrical in places and is well acted. The family situation is well-drawn with another sister married and in quite a different place in life.
Ehsas has a Bafta and Oscar nomination for his short, ‘Yellow’ (2023) and is working on a feature with British Film Institute (BFI) support.
Midriff – From the heart or somewhere near it…
Neeraja Raj
7 mins English
FUNNY, IMAGINATIVE and creative, ‘Midriff’ is quite the ride and features an animated character who is quite intrusive…
An Asian woman and her boyfriend are about to get heavy when our little friend emerges from our central protagonist’s…see the title.
It’s a bit of a musical ditty as well and all very amusing.
This is romcom territory and has potential to be lengthened – we need to know… and see more!
Before I do – Loving beyond The One?
Gitika Buttoo
11 mins English
SUBVERSIVE and unexpected, Gitika Buttoo’s short has a clever reveal and it isn’t very obvious – or least it wasn’t to us on a first viewing.
With stars Ayesha Dharker and Shobna Gulati playing mum and aunty respectively to Mona – you can’t go too wrong, can you?
Exploring the lesbian/bisexual gaze – in a nightclub, in flashbacks and forwarding to Mona’s impending nuptials, it is all skilfully handled and you are left wondering, will she/won’t she…?
Enough said.
These films all screened at the NFT1 at the BFI Southbank on Saturday, July 19
ACV interviewed Buttoo just before the film had its premiere at BFI Flare (March 19-30) this year…
