‘Coping through cinema’: Shaunak Sen confronts cancer in new documentary
NEW DELHI, Sept 7 — Indian filmmaker Shaunak Sen’s new documentary began as a “coping” mechanism...
Indian filmmaker Shaunak Sen made a documentary as a coping mechanism after a cancer diagnosis. The film, which hasn't yet been titled, follows a couple running a clinic for birds affected by Delhi's polluted air. Sen, 39, discussed the documentary in an interview with AFP. The diagnosis made him realize the risks associated with the polluted air in New Delhi, similar to the ones affecting the birds.
New Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world due to emissions from power plants, heavy traffic, and the burning of garbage and crops. A 2024 study in The Lancet Planetary Health found that 3.8 million deaths in India between 2009 and 2019 were linked to air pollution. The central figure in Sen's new documentary is not himself but his surgeon, who he admires for the ability to lose oneself in the present moment, a meditative state.
The film also explores Sen's relationship with his city, New Delhi, which is the 'wallpaper' of the documentary. His previous work also covers environmental degradation, such as the 2016 documentary 'Cities of Sleep' that examined the city's homeless population. Sen is also scheduled to screen his first fiction short, 'Termite', at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Despite having surgery, Sen continues his long road to recovery. He sees this documentary as a way to not directly confront the scary reality of his diagnosis and to convert it into a project for aesthetic purposes.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
