World Cinema Amsterdam | Internationaal filmfestival | 18 – 27 Augustus 2016

M. MANIKANDAN | INDIA | 2014 | 99' | TAMIL WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

The Crow's Egg, Indian-Tamil director M. Manikandan's debut film, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Festival where it was received with a standing ovation. Recognition of Manikandan's hugely successful attempt at telling a social realist, unpolished story of poverty in a light and uplifting way.

In a shanty somewhere in the slums of the southern Indian city of Madras, the two young brothers Ramesh "Little Crow's Egg" and Ramesh Thilaganathan "Big Crow's Egg" live with their mother and grandmother. The mother just manages to make ends meet with a factory job, the father is in prison. The two boys constantly beg for toys and even a television, not realizing how expensive life is and how much legal aid for their father costs. Still, one day the mother finds a way to get hold of a much-used TV. It opens up a whole new world to the boys. They see a commercial for the pizzeria that has just opened in their neighbourhood, the very same restaurant for which their local playground had to be demolished. A steaming pizza... they have never seen anything so delicious in their life. Now all they want is to eat one of those pizzas. This turns out not so be simple though...