In the dense forests of the Eastern Himalayas, moths are whispering something to us. In the dark of night, two curious observers shine a light on a secret universe.

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STORY 

NOCTURNES transports us to the dense forests of the Eastern Himalayas where in the dark of night, two curious observers shine a light on the secret world of moths.

An immersive viewing experience of sound and imagery, the film weaves together an intricate and poetic tapestry of our world. Ecologist Mansi sets out on a quest to study moths in one of the most vibrant places on earth. She teams up with Bicki, a young man from the indigenous Bugun community, to seek clues about what the future has in store for the moths.

Together, Mansi and Bicki traverse the landscape, meticulously working night after night to put up light screens that transform into a dynamic canvas with moths of varying sizes, designs and textures, creating a painterly effect with their form, movement and color. Meanwhile, the human beings wait, watch and listen with patient anticipation and wonder.

By focusing on a small, ephemeral, nocturnal creature like the moth, NOCTURNES seeks to question an human-centric view of the world. The lush forest, throbbing with a vast diversity of life, emerges as a breath-taking character as the film responds to the symphony of sounds and the inherent rhythms of the trees, the wind and the rain. The result is a rare and transformative experience that invites us all to look with more attention and care at the hidden interconnections in nature.

FILMMAKERs

Anirban Dutta is a filmmaker, still photographer and a media educator based in Delhi, India. He set up his company, Metamorphosis in 2003. He has directed and produced several documentary films and created many photographic essays on diverse topics such as children’s rights, biodiversity, environmental issues, health, and gender and sexuality. His films have traveled to various film festivals such as Busan International Film Festival, IDFA, New York Short Film Festival, the San Sebastian Human Rights Film Festival, Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, Al Jazeera International Film Festival, and Mumbai International Film Festival. ‘Flickering Lights’, the feature documentary that he co-directed with Anupama Srinivasan received the Best Cinematography Award at IDFA international competition 2023. Anirban has been a Visiting Artist at the University of Boise, Utah, USA (2009), Stanica Slovakia (2013) and exhibited in University of Lima, Peru (2007) in addition to having exhibitions in India. He was part of the Eurodoc Training Program for Creative Producing in 2021. He was also part of Film Independent's Global Media Makers LA Residency in 2022 with the project 'Nocturnes' that he has produced and co-directed. 'Nocturnes' will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024 in the World Cinema Documentary Competition.

Anupama Srinivasan is a filmmaker, film educator and curator based in Delhi, India. She did her BA in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University and went on to study filmmaking at the Film & Television Institute of India, Pune. She has been making documentaries for the past two decades, often shooting and editing her own work. Her films have been screened at various film festivals including IDFA, Busan International Film Festival, 100 Years of Cinema Centenary Festival, Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, FIPA Biarritz, Mumbai International Film Festival, Film Southasia Kathmandu, ImagineIndia Madrid Peloponnisos Film Festival and Kara Filmfest. ‘Flickering Lights’, the feature documentary that she co-directed with Anirban Dutta received the Best Cinematography Award at IDFA international competition 2023. Anupama was part of Film Independent's Global Media Makers LA Residency in 2022 with the project 'Nocturnes' that she co-directed and co-edited. 'Nocturnes' will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024 in the World Cinema Documentary Competition. Anupama has been visiting faculty at National Institute of Design, Ashoka University, SUPVA Rohtak, and Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts & Communication and Indian Institute of Mass Communication. She was the Festival Director of the IAWRT Asian Women’s Film Festival for three years (2013-15), and of the Peace Builders International Film Festival in 2016.

REVIEWS

“This immersive documentary about the secret lives of moths demands your full attention…A rich and unexpected experience”
- IndieWire

'Immersive visuals and richly rewarding soundscape"
- Screen International

“Nocturnes positions nature as a wonder to behold”
- POV Magazine

“Meditative and mesmerising…unlike anything you’ve ever seen…Intimate and expansive…breathtakingly vivid….Anirban & Anupama have created a film that stimulates your senses”
- Hindustan Times

"A documentary that is immediately, powerfully, and above all cinematically convincing."
- Variety

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