International premiere
Dilli Dark
“Some have dark skin. Some have dark sins. Some have dark money – the sky, a dark sun. We’re dark. We’re from Delhi. Yo!”
The amusing and current hip-hop comedy from non-Bollywood India, with principal Nollywood actor Samuel Abiola Robinson, wittily satirises colonialism, racism, demonisation of foreigners, social media influence and filmmaking in Dilliwood. Dibakar Das Roy switches between 1240 and 2023 to remind us of a forgotten history of Africans in India..
Adorable African outsider Michael Okeke left Nigeria six years ago to survive in the frequently disconnecting and overcrowded New Delhi, which he despises heartily. He dreams of true love and a better job but is pushed into only the 4 C-s: cell phone, cocaine, cash, and clients. Michael reluctantly wanders the streets at night to sell white shit for his rich customers' nose jobs.
800 years ago the queen of Delhi, Razia Sultan found love in the embrace of dark-skinned foreigner Jamal-ud-Din Yaqut. Yet the issues of the 13th century are still alive today, and the truth is that life remains extremely unfair, humans are all light and dark – but with some chili and sweet magic, Michael aspires to be the new role model of society.
Edvinas Pukšta
Dibakar Das Roy left a career in advertising in the US to come back to India to tell contemporary Indian stories of global relevance. He is a self-taught filmmaker who balanced work in advertising and communications while preparing his first feature film, “Dill Dark”. His favourite genres are satire and black comedy, mixed with elements of magical realism from everyday life, which he incorporates into his storytelling. He is inspired by the intersection of ancient history and modern politics and the cyclical nature of life and civilisation. He has a desire to tell stories that may seem crude or simplistic on the surface but are layered with subtle meaning. “Dilli Dark” is his first feature film.
Filmography:
Dilli Dark (2023)