SŪNNA (“Listen”)

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When Lakshmi, a gifted young Indian singer, begins to lose her hearing, she keeps it from her mother, Savita, as they prepare for a sacred temple performance that binds their family and faith. But when a moment of danger shatters the illusion, the truth can no longer be contained. In the quiet that follows, mother and daughter must confront not only loss, but the fear of who Lakshmi might become without sound.

Through touch, vibration, breath, and memory, Lakshmi discovers a new way of listening — one that lives in the body rather than the ear. What begins as silence becomes transformation. What feels like an ending becomes another kind of song.

Radha Mehta is an engineer-turned-filmmaker, AFI Directing MFA graduate, and Women in Film Directing Fellow. Her award-winning films include Dosh (Spirit of Slamdance Award), SŪNNA (Shine Global Resilience Award), Witness (Academy Awards longlist), and Standing With Moms (Women’s Voices Now Jury Prize). Drawing from her experience as an Indian American mother and hard-of-hearing musician, she is currently developing her debut feature, Anitya.

Producer: Pallavi Sastry

Writer: Radha Mehta

Executive Producers: Michelle K. Sugihara, Janet Yang, Julia S. Gouw Radha Mehta, Satish Brahme, Samudrika Arora

Cinematographer: Isue Shin

Production Designer: Suneha Balasubramanya

Composer: Dhruv Goel

Costume Designer: Reena Ray

Editor: Joseph Murphy

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Shorts: Music is in the Body

By exploring various artisitic mediums, these shorts capture on film the music and energy inherent in our bodies.