The Cinematheque

“This is storytelling of economy and elegance.”

Wendy Ide, Screen International

Crisscrossing through the suburbs of Kolkata, Maya (Tillotama Shome) juggles multiple jobs. In between working for a chicken farmer and cleaning houses, any downtime is spent caring for her teenage son Debu (Sayan Karmakar) and husband Sundar (Chandan Bisht). Since his dishonourable discharge from the military, Sundar has been unemployed and spends his days drinking. Struggling with his mental health, Sundar becomes a neighbourhood outcast thanks to his obsession with frogs and antisocial behaviour, leaving Debu confused and embarrassed. When Sundar mysteriously disappears and his friend turns up dead, Maya’s resolve is put to the test as she’s forced to confront the reality of his undiagnosed, potentially dangerous condition. Shome’s performance is a steady force in this slow-burn thriller, a deserved addition to the contemporary canon of Bengali neorealist films. Rooted in the desire to break cycles of domestic crisis, Shadowbox is a meditation on the complexities of gendered labour, mental health, and family systems.

In Bengali and Hindi with English subtitles

Post-screening discussion with Dr. Biju Mathew, a clinical professor in the UBC Department of Psychiatry, and Dr. Rajasree Nadella, a psychiatrist with the Department of Psychiatry in Maple Ridge.

Moderated by Dr. Harry Karlinsky, series director.