Lakshmi and Me

for detailed website of the film visit: www.lakshmiandme.com

Synopsis
Even in a metropolis like Bombay, old feudal attitudes still govern relationships between employers and their ‘servants'. Against this backdrop, Nishtha begins making a film with Lakshmi, her part-time maid. 20-year-old Lakshmi's is a precarious existence to begin with; illness and romance compound her problems in unexpected ways. As the filmmaker is drawn deeper into Lakshmi's life, she is forced to look at aspects of her own self as well, and to question many of the things she takes for granted. During a year and a half of dramatic changes,
the process of filming has its own impact on unfolding events and on the relationship between the two women.

Credits
Written & Directed by: Nishtha Jain
Executive Producer, Steps India: Iikka Vehkalahti
Producer, Raintree Films: Smriti Nevatia
Co-Producers: Sally Jo Fifer, Karoline Leth, Kristiina Pervilä
Editor: Rikke Selin Lorentzen
Cinematography: Deepti Gupta, Rakesh Haridas, Nishtha Jain
Sound: Subhashis Roy, Indrajit Neogi
Sound Design: Niraj Gera
Presented by Steps India
Produced by Raintree Films
Original Languages: Hindi, English, Marathi, Tamil
Subtitles: English, Finnish, Danish

Grants
Nokia Award for Best Film Idea (Docedge, SRFTI), Kolkata 2005

Supported by
ITVS International, USA
Tju-Bang Film, Denmark
Danish Film Institute
TV2, Denmark
Danidas Oplysningsbevilling
Danish Center for Culture and Development
Millennium Film, Finland
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland
YLE, Finland
Embassy of Finland, New Delhi

Distribution
Danish Film Institute, Denmark
Deckert Distribution, Germany

Film Festivals
Premiere at IDFA(International Documentary Film Festival, Amsterdam), 2007
One World-International Human Rights Documentary Festival, Prague, 2008
Full-Frame Film Festival, Durham, NC, USA, 2008
It's All True International Documentary Film Festival, São Paulo & Rio de Janeiro, 2008
IWFFIS-International Women's Film Festival in Seoul, 2008
IFFF - International Women's Film Festival Dortmund, Cologne, 2008
Dok-fest Munich, 2008
Planete Doc, Warsaw, 2008
Seattle International Film Festival, USA, 2008
Bucharest International Film Festival, Romania, 2008
Encounters Film Festival, Johannesburg, Cape Town, 2008
Jerusalem Film festival, 2008
5th Golden Apricot Film festival, Armenia, 2008
International Women's festival, Taiwan, 2008

Awards
Best Documentary, IDPA, 2007
Nominee, Silver Wolf Award IDFA, 2007
Jury Special Mention, Doc Planete Review, Warsaw 2008

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			Lakshmi and Me (2008) 59 min
			for detailed website of the film visit: www.lakshmiandme.com Synopsis Even in a metropolis like Bombay, old feudal attitudes still govern relationships between employers and their ‘servants'. Against this backdrop, Nishtha begins making a film with Lakshmi, her part-time maid. 20-year-old Lakshmi's is a precarious existence to begin with; illness and romance compound her problems in unexpected ways. As the filmmaker is drawn deeper into Lakshmi's life, she is forced to look at aspects of her own self as well, and to question many of the things she takes for granted. During a year and a half of dramatic changes, the process of filming has its own impact on unfolding events and on the relationship between the two women. Credits Written & Directed by: Nishtha Jain Executive Producer, Steps India: Iikka Vehkalahti Producer, Raintree Films: Smriti Nevatia Co-Producers: Sally Jo Fifer, Karoline Leth, Kristiina Pervilä Editor: Rikke Selin Lorentzen Cinematography: Deepti Gupta, Rakesh Haridas, Nishtha Jain Sound: Subhashis Roy, Indrajit Neogi Sound Design: Niraj Gera Presented by Steps India Produced by Raintree Films Original Languages: Hindi, English, Marathi, Tamil Subtitles: English, Finnish, Danish Grants Nokia Award for Best Film Idea (Docedge, SRFTI), Kolkata 2005 Supported by ITVS International, USA Tju-Bang Film, Denmark Danish Film Institute TV2, Denmark Danidas Oplysningsbevilling Danish Center for Culture and Development Millennium Film, Finland Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland YLE, Finland Embassy of Finland, New Delhi Distribution Danish Film Institute, Denmark Deckert Distribution, Germany Film Festivals Premiere at IDFA(International Documentary Film Festival, Amsterdam), 2007 One World-International Human Rights Documentary Festival, Prague, 2008 Full-Frame Film Festival, Durham, NC, USA, 2008 It's All True International Documentary Film Festival, São Paulo & Rio de Janeiro, 2008 IWFFIS-International Women's Film Festival in Seoul, 2008 IFFF - International Women's Film Festival Dortmund, Cologne, 2008 Dok-fest Munich, 2008 Planete Doc, Warsaw, 2008 Seattle International Film Festival, USA, 2008 Bucharest International Film Festival, Romania, 2008 Encounters Film Festival, Johannesburg, Cape Town, 2008 Jerusalem Film festival, 2008 5th Golden Apricot Film festival, Armenia, 2008 International Women's festival, Taiwan, 2008 Awards Best Documentary, IDPA, 2007 Nominee, Silver Wolf Award IDFA, 2007 Jury Special Mention, Doc Planete Review, Warsaw 2008