Indian filmmaker Anuparna Roy follows in Payal Kapadia’s footsteps with her feminist debut feature Songs of Forgotten Trees, a beautiful film that portrays the bond between two women sharing an apartment in Mumbai.
Thooya is an aspiring actress supporting herself with sex work. Swetha is in IT sales and has hopes of getting married. The two of them exchange stories and form a friendship that gives each of them the strength and courage to embrace change in a society that seeks to constrain them.
I did not know what to make of certain parts of the story and the subtle sapphic undertones, but it is ultimately a moving experience and a promising first film that makes me look forward to more from Roy.
