Short film Minesh, written and directed by Shalin Sirkar of Chalia Films has been selected into the Orizzonti Short Films Competition of the 70th Venice Film Festival. The film highlights the psychological plight of children who are exposed to domestic violence.
Shot in Kylemore, a small rural community outside of Stellenbosch, this 12minute film tells the story of Minesh (6), played by Tristan De La Cruz. When Minesh sees his father assaulting his mother, he is shocked, afraid and runs away.
MINESH is a South African‐German‐Danish co‐production, with Producers, Karl Baumgartner and Thanassis Karathanos of Pallas Film, (Germany), Peter Aalbæk Jensen of Zentropa Entertainment, (Denmark) and Shalin Sirkar of Chalia Films, (South Africa).
Shalin Sirkar, formerly of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa completed a BA in Psychology and Legal Studies at the University of Kwa‐Zulu Natal and a BA(Hons) in Philosophy at the University of Cape Town before working as a production assistant and Producer in the local film industry. MINESH is her directorial debut and she is currently in development with 2 feature films, PAUL and HOME SWEET HOME.