[Watch] Odisha-Born Filmmaker Bijaya Jena Unveils Trailer Of Her Short Film At Cannes

Bhubaneswar: National award-winning filmmaker from Odisha Bijaya Jena unveiled the trailer of her new short film ‘Winter Interlude’ shot in Tallinn at the Indian Pavilion of the Cannes Film Festival on May 21.

This English-language short film has a subtle anti-war message and how devastating events can rip families apart. The last few years coupled with the global epidemic has had a deep impact on human lives. ‘Winter Interlude’ hopes to act as a ray of hope and light on how human beings still strive for connection. After the pandemic takes the life of a Bengali woman’s estranged husband, she is forced to travel to his workplace in Estonia where she ends up bonding with his employer whose family is in Ukraine.

Besides Bijaya, the cast and crew includes popular Estonian actor Ott Aardam and American composer Gene Pritsker of ‘Cloud Atlas’ and ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ fame. With production being completed in April 2023, it has been sent to several international film festivals such as Locarno, Venice, Toronto, Valladolid and Busan, a release said.

A versatile artiste, Bijaya began her acting career with KA Abbas’ The Naxalites and played Laila in Kamal Amrohi’s Razia Sultan. She was also in Ketan Mehta’s Holi. She featured in popular television serials like Ek Kahani, Vikram Betaal, Param Veer Chakra and TV plays like Gogol’s Inspector General.

A native of Cuttack, she won the National Film Award (Best director) for the Odia language film Tara. She received the State Award for Best Actress for her performance in the Odia film Jaga Balia. She appeared in Hakim Babu which received a National Award for Best Odia Film. She also featured in Ismail Merchant’s British film, The Deceivers, directed by Nicholas Meyer