Monday, April 30th - 7:00pm - Oak St Cinema (Best of the Fest)  Director: Rajnesh Domalpalli   Director Present For Both Screenings  Vanaja (Mamatha Bhukya) is the 14 year-old daughter of a poor, low caste fisherman, who dreams of becoming something more. She goes to work for a local landlady, Rama Devi (Urmila Dammannagari), in hopes of learning Kuchipudi dance.

Vanaja excels at the art, and seems to be on an upward path when Shekhar (Karan Singh), Rama Devi's 23 year-old son, returns from the US to run in the local political election. Romance blossoms until Vanaja insults Shekhar's intellect in a public incident which ultimately humilates him in front of his mother. Matters escalate, spiraling downwards, as she is confronted by age-old realites of class struggle and gender inequality.

Writer/Director Rajneech Domapalli chose his native South India for his first film, in a place where social barriers often seem more impermeable than fort walls. Vanaja explores the chasm that divides classes as a young girl struggles with coming of age.

Vanaja won Best debut Feature at this year's Berlin Film Festival.

Cast: Mamatha Bhukya, Urmila Dammannagari, Ramachandriah Marikanti, Kishnamma Gundimalla

In Telugu with English subtitles, India/USA, 111 minutes, 2006, 35mm.

Presented by: University of Minnesota Consortium for the Study of the Asias