US Trailer for Provocative Drama ‘Fire in the Mountains’ from India
by Alex Billington
April 25, 2022
Source: YouTube
“An entrancing reverie of Himalayan life in India.” Kino Lorber has revealed an official US trailer for an acclaimed Indian drama titled Fire in the Mountains, marking the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Ajitpal Singh. This first premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival last year, and played at a few other fests including Opening Night at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. Chandra and her husband run the Swizerland Homestay, an inn that hovers high above the only road in a small Himalayan village. The terrain poses a problem for the family, who must transport their son Prakash down the mountain in his wheelchair. She tries to save money to build a road in her village to take her son around but unfortunately her husband, who believes that a shamanic ritual ‘Jaagar’ is the remedy, steals her savings. Starring Vinamrata Rai, Chandan Bisht, Harshita Tiwari, Mayank Singh Jaira, and Sonal Jha. This is a captivating film that is worth watching solely for the gorgeous views of the mountains along with the touching story of a mother.
Here’s the official US trailer (+ poster) for Ajitpal Singh’s Fire in the Mountains, from KL’s YouTube:
In northern India, a breathtakingly beautiful Himalayan community brings in tourists by commingling South Asian and Swiss Alps aesthetics. Debut filmmaker Ajitpal Singh tells an unconventional story of feminist strength while “accentuating the [region’s] spectacular exteriors and wide-canvas nature shots.” One local woman competes with her neighbors for business while battling the strictures of patriarchy, a local infrastructure from hell, and religious superstitions. She always saves money, uses feminine wiles to subvert the corrupt powers-that-be, and piggy-backs her son up and down the mountainside to medical appointments with condescending doctors. In the end, our heroine’s tightly wound grit must find release… in triumph, or madness, or both. Fire in the Mountains is both written and directed by Indian filmmaker Ajitpal Singh, making his feature directorial debut after a number of other short films previously. This initially premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival last year. Kino Lorber will debut Singh’s Fire in the Mountains in select US theaters starting on May 20th, 2022. For more details, visit their official website.
