New Delhi: In a proud moment for Indian cinema and filmmaking, the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) announced on Monday (November 4, 2024) that Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know has qualified for the 2025 Oscars. The award-winning film has advanced in the Live Action Short Film category.
Directed by Chidanand S Naik, Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know was honoured with the first prize in the La Cinef section at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024. The movie features sound by Abhishek Kadam, editing by Manoj V and cinematography by Suraj Thakur.
Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know plot
For those curious about the storyline of Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know, here’s a glimpse. Based on a Kannada folk tale, the flick was produced by FTII as part of a final-year student project. The story revolves around an elderly woman who steals the village rooster. The plot intensifies as this act brings about the cessation of sunlight, causing turmoil within the community.
In an effort to restore normalcy, a prophecy is invoked, leading to the exile of the old lady’s family who desperately undertake a mission to retrieve the rooster. It is said that the entire film was shot at night.
Chidanand expressed in a statement quoted by news agency PTI that he has long aspired to tell this story. He further shared that the team aimed to recreate the experience of not just hearing these folk tales but of genuinely living them. Chidanand hopes that the experience of Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know resonates with audiences worldwide.
