A Night of Knowing Nothing
L, a university student in India, writes letters to her estranged lover, while he is away. Through these letters, we get a glimpse into the drastic changes taking place around her. Merging reality with fiction, dreams, memories, fantasies and anxieties, an amorphous narrative unfolds. A NIGHT OF KNOWING NOTHING is a dream-like exploration of the political and social changes occurring in India. The rise of a right-wing narrative brings about a return to racism and classism the country struggled to shake and results in a violent repression of those who would speak up.
Director Payal Kapadia takes a concept seemingly so simple – a few lost letters for a lost love – to give us one of the most necessary, radical, and artistic documents in film history. The film becomes a deeply personal exploration of love, caste, and the brutal realities of social injustice. The film weaves intimate human stories with broader political protests, creating a rare and striking harmony between personal heartbreak and collective resistance.
With young filmmakers like Kapadia, cinema is being pushed to new boundaries, creating films that resonate deeply and challenge us to engage with the world.
We also screen Kapadia’s newest film ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT. On Thursday 5 March, the screening will be followed by a masterclass with Payal Kapadia.
