Based on Nobel Prize-winning author Rabindranath Tagore’s novel, Chaturanga is the story of Sachish—a man caught between western reformist notions and conservative Hindu beliefs. Set in colonial Bengal at the turn of the twentieth century, the film depicts one man’s struggle between diametrically opposed ideologies, both of which hold truth, logic, and validity for him. Unfortunately, he sees no way to blend the two. Two components of this film--the vacillation between abstract ideals and the powerful influences of two women in Sachish’s life—give it real depth. One of the women is Nanibala, his brother’s abandoned mistress; the other is a beautiful, young Hindu widow named Damini. With Nanibala, Sachish treats her as his rescue project--someone who requires his salvation. With Damini, the relationship is more complicated, as it becomes blatant that real passion exists between the two. Sachish is conflicted and his desire and his morality become mixed up; conversely, the temptestous Damini is absolutely exhausted by the social order and convention that has denied her everything, and she is eager is rebel. His relationship with Damini stirs up a classic id vs. superego battle, and the outcome is worth watching. When asked what inspired the director, Mukhopadhyay replied, “It is a very elegant movie that triggered me to make this film is Tagore’s manifestation of human relations. We find a lot of ideology in Tagore’s writings. All the questions asked by him 100 years ago are still to be resolved, and they are very relevant in today’s contemporary society.”

CHILDREN OF INVENTION is a timely drama that addresses the popular and now-classic American dream theme, the corresponding immigrant mentality in America, and the influence of parents’ motivations on their children. Director Tze Chun features a young brother and sister--Raymond and Tina-- who grow up in the Boston suburbs and are left to fend for themselves when their mother gets suckered into a pyramid scene and ends up leaving the children behind in her pursuit. Mother Elaine Cheng has been evicted which forces the three of them to realize that times are tougher than ever. Elaine is a single mom who left Boston for a suburban lifestyle, and once evicted, she tries desperately to find work that will support her family. They end up sneaking into a model apartment and squatting there temporarily. Maintaining a normal life is not easy since Elaine is juggling numerous jobs, one of those being a pyramid scheme company. With Elaine gone all the time, Raymond and Tina turn into latch-key children who entertain themselves making up inventions. One night Elaine doesn’t come home; several days pass and Raymond realizes he must start taking care of his little sister. CHILDREN OF INVENTION issues a perfectly-timed warning to be heeded in the post-BernieMadoff era we’re living in, and provides an amazingly in-depth look at how pyramid schemes affect marginalized minorities. Director Chun did not intend on being prophetic. As he simply stated, “When I wrote the film, I was writing…about the world I grew up in – a subculture of Americans trying to get-rich-quick in order to get themselves out of a financial hole. I didn't foresee the current financial crisis. But with the economy tanking now and foreclosures going through the roof, it seems like everyone's living through some version of what the Chengs go through in the film.”

This action-comedy-romance sees Li Mi as a tough chain-smoking, foul-mouthed cab driver who questions all her patrons in search of her fiance, Fang Wen. It’s been four years since he disappeared, but she’s obsessive about finding him, as she receives random letters from him. When two would-be drug dealers and two crooks enter her cab, their interaction sets off kidnapping, a suicide, amnesia, and mistaken identity.

his comedy focuses on two mischievous Malaysian boys whose father appears more interested in his mannequin-repairing job than fixing the ills of his own family. Without passing judgment, the film shows how the brothers encounter a friend’s nurturing mother, discovering a different set of parenting skills.

HALF LIFE satirically depicts self-absorbed suburbanites in Northern California whose comfortable lives are disrupted with the same kind of destruction shown on the news. Floods, murders, and global warming parallel this family’s problems. Mother Saura takes a boyfriend and strains relations with daughter Pam. Brother Timothy possesses supernatural powers, showing how hope brings help.

“Dodges the obvious to deliver the unexpected” is how Handle Me with Care has been described. Protagonist Kwan (Kerttikamol Lata) was born with three fully functioning arms, and this film takes audiences for a journey on what it would be like to truly be in his shoes, or rather, sleeves. Kwan has always found his predicament to be practical, if anything—he is more adept and skillful at handling things—but his physical oddity has some drawbacks--namely that he’s socially not accepted much of the time. When his uncle, a tailor who has always sewn his shirts for him, dies, Kwan becomes more withdrawn from society. After experiencing repeated rejection in both the arenas of love and work, Kwan decides to road trip to Bangkok, where he knows of a surgeon who will amputate his third arm. With his life savings in tow, Kwan heads to the big city leaving his rural town behind. Along the way, he suffers more setbacks but takes some solace in the company of Na (Supaksorn Chaimongkol), a fellow hitchhiker. Interestingly, she can empathize with him somewhat because she was blessed and cursed with a buxom chest, and while she does not possess a deformity which carries harsher ramifications, she knows exactly what it’s like to be judged on her physical appearance. She points out that while both of them possess more of what they need, she thinks his condition makes him unique and special. The two of them get to know each other more on their travels and as they get closer to their destination, Kwan starts to wonder more about what he’s doing. Na’s perspective of his oddity has made him question his decision to go through with the operation. HANDLE ME WITH CARE focuses a sympathetic lens on a character who would typically be portrayed as a narrative freak. Director Jaturanrasamee doesn’t preach or tell viewers how or what to feel. He shows restraint for a tale which could easily turn fantastical and unbelievable, but instead, delivers storytelling at its finest.