Margarita, With A Straw

Dir: Shonali Bose
Cast: Revathi, Kalki Koechlin
India, 2014, 100 minutes
Hindi and English with Hebrew Subtitles

TLVFest 2015 – Best Narrative Feature
Audience Award – Frameline 2015
Toronto International Film Festival 2014
London International Film Festival 2014
Palm Springs International Film Festival 2015

Laila is a student and aspiring writer, crafting lyrics and electronic sounds for an indie band at her Delhi University. Her cerebral palsy doesn’t much get in the way of her life, although it sometimes does for others. Always seeking more freedom and new experience, Laila wins a place at New York University and leaves India with her mother for Manhattan. There she meets a fiery activist, Khanum, who challenges her beliefs and sparks her creativity. For these two women, it’s the beginning of a remarkable love story. Kalki Koechlin’s acting is nothing short of amazing and creates a wonderful portrait of a young woman who refuses to submit to the dictates of the conservative society in India and the United States, and insists to find her own identity and sexuality in spite of the disability. “Margarita, With a Straw” is a love story that will inspire to conquer the hearts of viewers and spectators.