Geetu Mohandas is a filmmaker based in India. In 2009, along with her director/cinematographer husband Rajeev Ravi, she formed Unplugged, which produced her first short fiction film, “Kelkkunnundo (Are You Listening?).” The film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and subsequently won three international awards, plus the national award in India.

Her first feature, Liar’s Dice, debuted at Sundance on January 18th.

Please give us your description of the film.

The film is about Kamala and her girl child with a lamb travelling across the treacherous mountain in search of her missing husband. Along the way, she meets an army deserter who knowing the perils of the journey ahead and decides to accompany them to their destination with his own selfish motive.

What made you write this?

The undercurrent of the narrative is very political. It talks about the plight of the migrant labourers and displacement. It talks about a sense of futility and anger against the system. The poor labourers are a mere statistic in India when a calamity or tragedy occurs, and these nameless people were my inspiration to tell the story.

What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

Finding finance, most definitely.

What advice do you have for other female directors?

There are many more funding opportunities available for women filmmakers, so please explore those options.

What’s the biggest misconception about you and your work?

I don’t know. I think I hate the fact that many people are gender-biased [and they] shouldn’t be. Cinema is a universal language and it shouldn’t be stamped as a film made by a male or female director.

Do you have any thoughts on what are the biggest challenges and/or opportunities for the future with the changing distribution mechanisms for films?

I feel cinema has become a commodity and no more for the love of art. This attitude should change, and if the film is good, then those independent films should get platforms to sell and showcase their work.