A Night of Knowing Nothing

A hypnotic dream in black and white: This essayistic documentary interweaves intimate love letters with the chronology of student protests in India.

The edges of the picture are dark and blurred, like in a silent film; only in the middle do things come to light. In an empty kitchen, two slices of bacon hit the pan with a hiss. Here, in the residence hall of the Film and Television Institute, room S18, a box of love letters has been found, signed with the letter L. A voice-over reveals their contents: a young woman tells of her longing, fear and increasing exhaustion. Slowly and subtly, the political realm enters the delicate dream-like narrative in shots of public demonstrations against injustice, discrimination and violence. Everything is interrelated: love, the struggles and the dreams in the lives of present-day youth in India. This hypnotic cinematic essay received the award for best documentary at Cannes.

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