Kadwi Hawa director Nila Madhab Panda among 11 chosen directors for UN's anthology on climate change

I Am Kalam director Nila Madhab Panda has been chosen as one of the eleven directors shortlisted by the United Nations to make a film on the imminent dangers of climate change, as part of a project titled Independence. The filmmaker confirmed the news to Mumbai Mirror, saying the subject matter of the short film will showcase 11 nations’ problems with regards to the rampant phenomenon threatening the earth. The film will be an anthology. The other 10 helmers include Faouzi Bensaidi (Morocco), Asa Hjorleifsdottir (Iceland), Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (who was also the winner from Chad, Sahel Region at Cannes). Salome Lamas (Portugal), Bettina Oberli (Switzerland), Shahrbanoo Sadat (Afghanistan), Silvio Soldini (Italy), Daniela Thomas (Brazil), Leon Wang (China), and Karin Williams (New Zealand). Check out Nila Madhab Panda’s post on his short film

Panda’s film will be a courtroom drama based in Delhi. Divya Dutta will portray the role of the judge while Tannishtha Chatterjee will play a lawyer. Manjari Fadnnis and Chandan Anand are depicted as a couple on the brink of divorce. Panda has spoken on the issue calling Delhi a “gas chamber.” “This film is a portentous narrative which will show us how we can fight the problem in our own way,” the publication quoted the director as saying. Being a part of a panel which included Oscar-nominated filmmakers along with ones who received recognition at film festivals like Cannes, Berlin, was a huge honour for Panda, he says. His film will premiere in Italy and will be taken across the globe with the obvious intention of maximum reach for maximum awareness. The director also chips in saying an Indian release will depend upon the distributors but he surely hopes for the best.