Marching in the Dark
The widows come together to break the vicious cycle of debt and climate related chaos in Indian agriculture that has pushed their desperate husbands to kill themselves - and leave them with the debt. A powerful and compelling film about solidarity between sisters.
The drought-stricken Indian rural region of Maharashtra is hit by a butterfly effect of chaotic crises. The climate, artificially low prices on the world market, rising imports and lack of regulation are pushing farmers into bottomless debt and deep poverty. The consequence is an unbearably high suicide rate. Some poison themselves by drinking the pesticides that put them in debt. They leave their wives with large, unpaid bank loans, the responsibility of raising their children and a farm to take care of. ‘Marching in the Dark’ turns its attention to the many women left behind who are connected by a common pain. Together they seek out a local psychologist to share stories, question orthodox practices, be vulnerable and comfort each other. But the meetings are also a silent rebellion against a patriarchal society and a first step in an inevitable liberation. A compelling story about a vicious circle and the first steps towards a resilient women’s movement.
Kinshuk Surjan
Kinshuk Surjan is an Indian filmmaker, based in Brussels and Bhopal. His graduation film POLA won the Indian National Student Film Award for Best Film and Best Script in 2013. After working as a 2nd assistant director on the film ISLAND CITY, awarded at Venice Film festival, Kinshuk went to pursue his master at DocNomads. In this period, his short, DIVIDED LINES, was screened at the 2015 Jihlava Film Festival. In 2017 his graduation film THE FLANDRIEN won the Flanders Audiovisual Fund’s VAF “Wildcard” and was later broadcasted on VRT, WDR & CT1. In 2021, Kinshuk participated in Berlinale Talents with his debut feature documentary MARCHING IN THE DARK, that will now world premiere in 2024 at CPH:DOX.
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