Have you ever imagined how a letter works? Not only to archive messages and feelings but also as a medium to record things from the past coherently? It is not complete, but that’s what we need. This feature-length documentary departs from discovering a pile of letters written by a student with the initials “L,” which neatly packs and mixes emotions. It invites you to feel angry, afraid, sad, confused, happy, disappointed, and other abstract feelings through taking pictures in black and white and additional amateur video pieces that further describe the atmosphere at that time. In India, we are invited to see the personal and collective turmoil of the letters of “L”.
Clashing two sides: personal and collective things, we are invited to see public anger that demand justice and equality in India. Some were arrested and later released, and the atmosphere of the movement overflowed even more. “We Shall Fight, We Shall Win!” has become a mantra constantly echoed by those who take to the streets. Proving that being an activist is far from safe, this film can also be a good show for police institutions as an attempt to improve in handling some cases in order to minimize the victims (especially activists that are fighting for the rights of many people).Â
However, perhaps, the courage that is possessed might suddenly disappear when it enters the smallest sphere: our family and feelings. The inner turmoil of “L” questions and, at the same time, helps voice many of them about why falling in love is so difficult for a couple or one of them in a narrower spatial scope, India, for example. Perhaps, it’s not his courage that wanes, but the proof that we are not free even for the most sentimental things: who we choose to fall in love with. Why is it so difficult to defend valid feelings than to stand up to the head of government in a mass demonstration?
We never know what’s in the other’s mind and what will happen tomorrow. A Night of Knowing Nothing (Payal Kapadia, 2021) is recommended for those who want to feel the inner turmoil of “L” and his views on what is happening in India through his letters. Within 97 minutes, you can watch this feature-length documentary that intersects with India’s history and socio-politics at Festival Film Dokumenter 2022.
Written by Cindy Gunawan
Edited by Vanis
Film Details:
A Night of Knowing Nothing
Payal Kapadia | 97 min | France, India | Color | 2021 | 15+
Kompetisi Dokumenter Panjang Internasional
Showtime:Â
15 November 2022 | Auditorium IFI-LIP | 19.00
