Over the past few years, first features by Indian directors have been capturing the attention and accolades of the international film community. A strong contender for last year's Camera d'or (Cannes) and top winner at the Hawai'i International Film Festival, Birth is the latest in the trend inaugurated by Salaam Bombay. "The first feature from Shaji, Aravindan's talented cinematographer, plays like an Indian Tarkovsky. Based on a true story, it's a dense, somewhat lyrical tale that speculates on the fate of a student who vanished in the late '70s after singing a protest song. It's a difficult, extremely demanding work but if you allow its unforced, fluent rhythms a chance to breathe, they'll knock you out. The breathtaking green cliffs and tropics of Kerala and the often haunting use of weather, water and hills are seamlessly integrated into the narrative. When a young student fails to show up for the holidays, his father begins to investigate the disappearance. The story is naturally simple, and when the boy's sister ultimately discovers his fate, it's devastating. This film could never make it commercially (even on the art house circuit); it's not driven by plot or narrative, but by symbolism and ritual. Aravindan's spare, provocative music obscures the weaker points and establishes a tone and mood completely its own. Birth announces a bold, fresh perspective in Indian cinema." --Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Reader