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2021 Indian film
| Barefoot Empress | |
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| Directed by | Vikas Khanna |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Omee Ganatra |
| Edited by |
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| Music by |
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| Release date |
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| Running time | 15 minutes |
| Countries | India United States |
| Language | Malayalam |
| Budget | $5,000 |
Barefoot Empress is an Indo-American short documentary film directed by Vikas Khanna. The film depicts the life story of a woman in India who enrolls in first grade at the age of 96. The film is co-produced by Oscar nominated Doug Roland and Deepak Chopra serves as an executive producer.
Summary
Barefoot Empress, a 15 minute short film revolves around Karthyayani Amma, who, having never had access to education as a girl, finally gets a chance at education. At 96-years-old she was the oldest among the 43,330 candidates who appeared for the 'Aksharalaksham' test, a fourth standard equivalent examination. Karthyayani Amma scored a 98 out of 100 on a literacy examination conducted by the Kerala government. The state-run Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority (KSLMA) has certified that her score is a record.
Production history
Karthyayani Amma's story caught director Vikas Khanna's attention via a tweet in 2018. Hearing the first-hand account of her life inspired the making of Barefoot Empress.
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Bangalore Shorts Film Festival | Festival Award | Won | |
| 2022 | ShortShorts Film Festival | Biogen award | Won | |
| 2022 | Big Apple Film Festival | Short Documentary | Won |
References
- Yossman, K. J. (17 November 2022). "Deepak Chopra Boards Vikas Khanna's Documentary Short 'Barefoot Empress' as Executive Producer". Variety. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
- "12th Bengaluru International Film Festival".
- "ShortShorts Film Festival".
- "Big Apple Film Festival 2022 Award Winners". 20 November 2022.