Kolkata: From Kalighat's red-light district to the world's largest documentary festival, Bipuljit Basu's ‘Redlight to Limelight' has lived up to its title.
The documentary was on Tuesday selected as part of the ‘Best of Fest' category at the 38th edition of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) that will take place from Nov 13 to 23.
It's the only Indian film selected in the slot, which features prize-winners, public favourites and the year's most eye-catching titles from the international festival circuit.
Each Nov since 1988, IDFA transforms Amsterdam's city centre into a paradise for documentary film fans who come to watch over 300 movies that tell the stories about life around the world. "This selection marks a milestone for the film and everyone associated with it.
IDFA, recognised as the world's largest and most prestigious documentary film festival, has chosen it for a highly curated category that showcases some of the most acclaimed and impactful documentaries from leading festivals around the world," said Basu.
‘Redlight to Limelight' follows children who weave stories with their mothers and sisters through their native video production unit, CAM ON, to cultivate a meaningful change in the lives of sex workers in the Kalighat brothel.
Keeping aside the ghosts of their grimy reality, they immerse themselves in the joy of storytelling with a burning desire to turn the brothel into a better place. "CAM ON embarks on making a new short fiction, ‘Nupur', which is often entwined between memories and actuality, taking them through a catharsis when the community premieres the film for a public screening—its voices are heard," Basu said.
The documentary will have its Dutch premiere with five screenings in Amsterdam.
"This will allow my documentary to connect with one of the most discerning audiences globally. The selection is a recognition of the film's artistic merit and its social resonance," Basu added.
He underlined the significance of the film's screenings in a city, known for its iconic red-light district. "That is the social significance of this film — it aims to connect mothers from red-light districts across the world. I truly believe mothers from Amsterdam's red-light district will come to the screening, feel a bond, and relate to the struggles and hopes that the mothers of Kalighat express in this film," he added.