Tomorrow We Disappear

The puppeteers, magicians and street artists of the Kathputli colony in Delhi are a dying breed, and the current Indian government seems keen on exterminating whatever’s left of them...or so we’re meant to understand from “Tomorrow We Disappear”, a documentary by Jimmy Goldblum and Adam Weber in which we learn how the thousands of inhabitants of the colony are being moved to temporary housing projects while a real estate magnate builds a commercial complex in the land, including the city’s very first skyscraper, they've inhabited for over five decades.

We meet some of the colony’s most peculiar characters, including world renowned puppeteer Puran Bhatt who expresses his displeasement and surprise at being threatened with eviction after receiving a medal from the Indian President. There’s also street magician Rahman Shah, who fails to attend council meetings trying to make ends meet in streets where his line of job isn’t as welcome as it once was, and there’s also Maya Pawar, a talented acrobat who boasts about her pole-bending abilities and seems to be the only subject in the film, who is actually looking forward to moving (she can’t bear children, so she has to find a different path for herself in Indian society).

The vibrant cinematography by Will Basanta and Josh Cogan is a real treat for the eyes, but it’s perhaps due to this exuberance that we’re not always able to connect to the plea of these artists. The filmmakers don’t elaborate on how they first got to Kathputli and we have to take their word that this displacement is extremely negative. In a David vs. Goliath-style the film thrives because how can we not root for the poor artists about to become homeless? Ideally though, it would’ve been interesting to see if there is any kind of benefit to come for them from the government. Or perhaps we're being too naive here...As a documentary, for those who can't always connect to films emotionally, the films lacks a stronger political background and more facts, but as a piece on the importance of art in society, it remains quite the marvel.

Love & Engineering

So you think your love life sucks? Wait till you meet the subjects at the center of Tonislav Hristov’s “Love & Engineering”; a group of geeky engineers who have pledged their devotion to computer gaming, heavy metal music and chess, in the process losing their ability to flirt and conquer women. Led by Atanas Boev - who explains he’s allowed to be the leader because he’s the only with a wife and child - the engineers try to dissect the essence of love through a series of experiments and formulas that range from blind dating to figuring out whether a particular “face smell” makes them desirable or not.

Like a “The Big Bang Theory” with pathos, the film tries not to sink under the endless stereotypes portrayed by its subjects and attempts to make them not only adorable, but attractive. We get to see the world through their eyes and learn that we might not be as far removed from them as we think. In a world where more and more we are taught that we all have a place in society according to our age, race, sexual orientation, taste in music etc. it’s refreshing to see a film that relishes in the shared joys of just being human.

The film’s loveliest touch is that it never allows these men to wallow in endless self pity, watching them enjoy themselves with their books, games and just hanging out together, makes us understand that perhaps the only formula for love we will ever be able to crack is the one that asks us to love ourselves and treat others with kindness. It’s impossible to watch “Love & Engineering” and leave without wanting to text one of these guys and see what they’re up to tonight.