Island Of Magic

Access to meaningful education is shockingly rare in India. Combined with the baggage of their socio-economics, parents, teachers and students struggle to find a balance between their daily sustenance and schooling. The film traverses these territories in an attempt understand the lives of people living a very different reality than ours, and through it, reflect on the larger implications of education.
The second graders at an under-funded municipal school in the heart of Asia’s largest slum, Dharavi, have been working towards a feat thus far unimaginable to them: performing a musical in English on a real stage, in a real auditorium.

Director: Anaka Kaundinya

Having graduated as a lawyer, Anaka is an accidental filmmaker of sorts. She has always had a strong inclination towards the arts; reflective of the childhood and teenage years she spent training in classical dance and theatre.
In June 2010, Anaka became a partner at a volunteer-driven non-profit collective called ‘Dear Imagination’ focused on the broader arts education of underprivileged children. She designed and executed story telling, essay writing, reading, art and craft workshops.

Specifications

Film Type:Documentary, Short
Genres:Education, First-Time Filmmaker, Debut, India
Runtime:29 minutes 13 seconds
Completion Date:July 26, 2015
Production Budget:1,700 USD
Country of Origin:India
Country of Filming:India
Film Language:English, Hindi