And What Is the Summer Saying

A mystical film poem about Kondwall village, its inhabitants and the surrounding flora and fauna. Here in the Indian district of Maharashtra, the camera roams through the jungle and in and among the houses, searching for intimate stories and secrets. A young man goes out hunting for honey in the forest, the way his father taught him. We hear the story of the time a tiger appeared in the village.

Wood fires illuminate humble interiors in moonlit color shots, while daylit scenes appear in glorious black and white. Majestic tree crowns rustle in the wind; a plume of smoke rises from the landscape. In the background we hear barking dogs and lowing cattle, as villagers whisper about their lost loves. This mysterious and dreamlike film reveals the young director Payal Kapadia to be a highly talented filmmaker. And What Is the Summer Saying is a pure cinematic experience that’s brimming with scenes that deserve to be seen on the big screen.