Vanaja (Mamatha Bhukya) is the 14-year-old daughter of a poor, low caste fisherman, struggling with dwindling catches and mounting debt. When a soothsayer predicts that she will be a great dancer one day, she goes to work in the house of the local landlady in hopes of learning Kuchipudi dance while earning her keep. Set in rural South India, a place where social barriers are built stronger than fort walls, Vanaja explores the chasm that divides classes as a young girl struggles to come of age. Featuring a stunning performance by Bhukya, a non-professional actor, who spent a year learning classical Indian dances after she was cast. In Telugu with English subtitles. More at vanajathefilm.com 35mm
2007, color, 1 hour 51 minutes, India