|
Synopsis
The ‘rat-hole’ mines in the Jaintia Hills of NorthEast India, are hostile pits where men and boys risk their lives everyday to scratch coal out of hard rock. Burrowing into narrow tunnels, they are armed with nothing more than a pickaxe and a torch. Each of them comes to the coal-pit forced by different circumstances; but once there, they’re all looking for a chance to breakout. Some are able to escape, most don’t. With the odds stacked against him, 11-year old Suraj, toils in the dangerous mines with an indomitable spirit and a stubborn smile, hoping to one day escape the dark abyss and return to school. The film follows Suraj and several other miners whose lives intertwine with his, to reveal lives under extraordinary circumstances and the brutal choices they are forced to resolve at every turn. A transporting and immersive journey, fostering deep emotional connectedness to its subjects, Fireflies in the Abyss illustrates how even seemingly insurmountable obstacles can help the human spirit grow. |
|
Director
Chandrasekhar Reddy is an independent producer/director, with an extensive experience in independent film & television, both internationally and in India. Previous credits include films for National Geographic Asia, Discovery Asia, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Ministry of Tourism GoI, and BBC.. His short ‘Coalboy’ was part of the “Why Poverty’ series. ‘Fireflies in the Abyss’, is his debut feature length documentary.
Press
Chandrasekhar Reddy is an independent producer/director, with an extensive experience in independent film & television, both internationally and in India. Previous credits include films for National Geographic Asia, Discovery Asia, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Ministry of Tourism GoI, and BBC.. His short ‘Coalboy’ was part of the “Why Poverty’ series. ‘Fireflies in the Abyss’, is his debut feature length documentary.
Press