Rishabh Jain, director of the film “Ali Ali” (India, 2025), selected for the Youths Section.
The film blends childhood with the magic of cinema. What feelings do you hope to evoke in the audience with this narrative? What are your expectations for the short film’s screening at this festival? With this film, I wanted to explore the idea that “it’s okay not to be okay.” As children, we are usually told to share, to be kind and good, but we are rarely told about the possessiveness we feel towards what we love or own. I would like to say that it’s okay to feel this way, that not sharing something you love very much can also make sense.
The film also subtly looks at how power dynamics begin to shape us from an early age. Growing up in society, we unconsciously begin to learn and perform hierarchies: who controls, who obeys, and who negotiates. These instincts mirror the foundation of larger political behaviors we see later in society.
On another level, “Ali Ali” is also about the director’s manipulation: how we, as creators, often push boundaries to bring our artistic vision to life. We are taught to prioritize our art above all else, and sometimes this comes loaded with uncomfortable moral questions.
Ultimately, I wanted to blur the line between fiction and reality. If the audience doubts what is real, wondering to what extent the film crew actually went to a small village to record real children and emotions, then I have achieved my goal. This confusion between what was constructed and what we find is where the film comes to life. For the festival, I hope the film finds friendly and curious people. May the work make them laugh, think, and remember a little about their childhoods, or, if they are directors, the complexity and chaos of shooting an independent, low-budget film. I also hope that the audience and fellow directors will connect with me to discuss the tangle of details that I tried to bring into the film.