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For Those Who Love Film ...

Photograph at the Vernon Towne Cinema

Aug 6, 2019 | 9:18 AM

Photograph, showing at the Vernon Towne Cinema on August 5th by the Okanagan Screen Arts Society, is about two lives that intersect in Mumbai when an introverted girl (Miloni) and a struggling photographer (Rafi) meet when Miloni visits the Gateway and agrees to let Rafi take her photograph.

Unfortunately, Miloni has to leave before Rafi can give her the photo.

Impulsively Rafi sends the photograph of Miloni to his grandmother as proof that he has a girlfriend as she has decided to stop taking her medicine until he proves that he is making some progress on getting married.

This is such wonderful news that his grandmother (Farrukh Jaffar) insists on coming to meet the girl for herself.

A dilemma ensues as Rafi then has to try to find Miloni and talk her into pretending to be the girl he told his grandmother he was dating.

With the help from a billboard picture, in a city of more than 18 million people, Rafi is able to find Miloni and talks her into pretending to be the girl he wrote to his grandmother about.

Miloni comes up with a dramatic background story for the character she is playing and in doing so she begins to see herself differently, both in the photograph and in the persona she creates for Rafi’s grandmother.

This inspires her to envision a different life for herself as Miloni tells Rafi’s grandmother that she saw someone who looks happier and prettier than she has ever been in her photograph.

Perhaps this is how Rafi sees her or is it a glimpse of into a life that she never dared to imagine for herself?

Photograph is written and directed by Ritesh Batra whose tender touch builds a sweetness as it has a good deal of heart, sympathy, and substance. Siddiqui and Malhotra are well suited to the gentle tone of the film and their performances are low-key and likeable as Batra shows his faith in people and in love.

Showtimes at 5:15 & 7:45 p.m. Pre-show intro by resident Film maker, Matt McDowell. Enjoy live music in the lobby before the early show courtesy of Les Copeland. Cash wine bar open for both shows.
Advance tickets available at the Towne Cinema box office and Expressions of Time bookstore.

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