Fire in the Mountains

The movie is a tale set in uttarakhand and revolves around elements unique to himalayan culture

my native village is in himachal and hence a lot of the movie's elements are all that more familiar to me and so my love for this movie doesn't originate from getting to peer into a culture im not familiar with but rather the brilliance of it's story

its an indie movie done right with well-written characters, subtle metaphors and beautiful cinematography.

Semi-spoilers below this point:

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a child's innocence but albeit limited world view weaves this story together

the world in this movie (and sadly, the world most live in) is operated on the whims of selfish, abusive but yet cowardly men.

The story has our protagonist Chandra and her husband Prakash try to make end meets through the homestay they run in a remote village severely cut off from any vehicular access

Chandra is a bold, courageous yet never disrespectful woman trying her best to gift her children a stable future and is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that; Prakash contrasts her on almost every quality except that he also wants to do the same for his children

Chandra for all her qualities also has some shortcomings because of her limited worldview and Prakash even more so

in this world, the children are shunned for even attempting to explore their sexuality and also pursuing any dreams beyond the "normal"; Children can excel in their studies but stil be beaten up if anything apart from the social norm for women is followed; Children can also be stubborn and fail to empathize with their parents despite them pouring their blood and sweat into making things work

people living in remote locations with no access to stable water and electricity in the 21st century is contrasted with radio announcements about the country soon becoming a superpower

a lot can be said about the movie and i have written a lot evidently but the movie is a thought-provoking dramatized look into the reality of people severely neglected by authority figures seeking holy refuge to somehow overcome their hardships co-existing with our privileged first-world lives.

The movie is carried on the broad shoulders of all relatively unknown actors who have played an amazing role. Each one of them is instrumental to the story and has played their role to the T. The mother and father were especially good. The father portrayed the helplessness of being stuck in a situation really well. The mother on the other hand is a passive aggressive being who wants to do right by her family but is drowned in the woes of her life and can't do anything. The kids too played their roles really well and especially the teenaged daughter was a perfect fit for the role.

The fact is that the acting was so good and crispy that the incredible locales of Uttarakhand just remained as a backdrop for the movie and you hardly end up even noticing them. This is a testament to how well the actors portrayed the characters.

This movie brought back deep nostalgia for me, especially with its beautiful shots of Munsiyari and Pithoragarh. It captures Kumaon village life perfectly.

The story of a naive and struggling family is portrayed with great authenticity, highlighting elements like societal pressures, trauma, struggle, and the impact of a lack of education and awareness. The ritual shown towards the end is a common practice in many villages across Uttarakhand.

The Devtari ritual of Uttarakhand is a traditional practice where deities are believed to possess chosen individuals, called Mala or Dhandari. These individuals enter a trance-like state during the ritual, acting as mediums for the deities to communicate with the community. The ritual involves music, dance, and offerings, and is a way for the villagers to seek divine guidance and blessings. It is a deep-rooted cultural tradition in the Garhwal and Kumaon regions of Uttarakhand.

Whole movie the director was trying to get to something but he couldn't. When the movie was premiered I saw a guy giving it a standing ovation I mean the movie doesn't even contain any thing And looks like a well budget one as well The only reason it won international consideration is because the west likes to see the bad side of India The movie shows the negativity which doesn't even exist And overall the result was null It was not a clear communication (not in a godd way) To be Frank It looked like the director took random shots and arranged them to form a movie I've seen better movies with the budget of Android camera.