​Anuparna Roy’s ‘Songs of Forgotten Trees’ Draws Applause

​Thiruvananthapuram: Anuparna Roy’s film ‘Songs of Forgotten Trees’ received an enthusiastic response from the audience on Day Two of IFFK, at Kalabhavan Theatre on Saturday.

​The film, which won the Orizzonti Award for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival, stood out for its restrained storytelling and emotional depth.

​The film is a quiet exploration of what unfolds behind closed doors, focusing on the blurred boundaries between observation and intrusion.

Set in Mumbai, it examines urban loneliness and intimate estrangement through the evolving relationship between two women: Thooya, an aspiring actress, and Swetha, a reserved corporate professional.

The sense of alienation is conveyed through a slow, observational rhythm and a claustrophobic domestic setting, where doorways and visual obstructions mirror emotional barriers.

The film progresses towards development of an unexpected bond between the two women, both bruised by life under different circumstances.

​Following the screening, Anuparna Roy interacted with the audience during a Q & A session. Speaking about her debut, she described the film as a gamble and noted that the central idea was to portray two women living together while being emotionally detached from men.

​Addressing questions on camera angles, Roy said that her choices were driven by emotional truth rather than intellectual symbolism.