Adding to the glory of independent filmmakers in India, FTII graduate Chidananda S Naik-directed Kannada movie Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know… has been qualified for Oscars 2025, under the ‘Live Action Short Film’ category.
With Jahangeer MS, Vishwas BS and Vasudha Bharighat in the lead, the story of Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know… follows an elderly woman, who apparently steals a prized rooster from her village. This leads to a lot of chaos and confusion in the village, plunging the entire rural community into darkness. In order to find the rooster and bring back the light, the villagers then embark on a mission. Filmed at night, the plot creates a mysterious and intriguing atmosphere.
“I have aspired to tell this story for as long as I can remember. Our goal was to recreate the experience of not merely hearing these stories but of genuinely living them – an experience I hope resonates with audiences around the globe,” Chidananda stated in a press note.
Produced as part of Chidananda’s year-end exercise at the Film and Television Institute of India, the 16-minute film was honoured with the first prize in the ‘La Cinef’ section at the 2024 edition of the Cannes Film Festival. The jury at Cannes had lauded the film for its ‘illuminating storytelling and masterful direction’. “An illumination that, from the depths of the night, shines with humour and a keen sense of direction, the first prize is awarded to Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know… by Chidananda S Naik,” they stated. On home turf, it won the ‘Indian Competition’ at the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival.
The film’s crew includes Suraj Thakur (as cinematographer), Manoj V (as editor) and Abhishek Kadam (as sound designer). According to reports, the production team had to face a lot of difficulties while shooting the film, which included a tight shooting schedule of four days and filming at night in a remote location with a handful of resources.
