Until I Fly
| Until I Fly | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by |
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| Cinematography | Siddesh Shetty |
| Edited by | Audrey Maurion |
| Music by | Jérôme Rebotier |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Taskovski Films |
Release date |
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| Countries |
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| Language | Hindi |
Until I Fly is a 2024 documentary film directed by Kanishka Sonthalia and Siddesh Shetty.[1][2] An international co-production between India and France, the film follows five years in the life of Veeru, a young boy of mixed Indian and Nepalese heritage growing up in a remote Himalayan village.[3] The film premiered at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival in March 2024.[1]
Synopsis
The film focuses on Veeru, a young boy living in an Indian village near the border with Nepal. Because his mother is Indian and his father is Nepalese, Veeru faces regular bullying and xenophobia from other children in the village, who often call him a thief due to his background.[1] His mother also deals with mental health issues, including bipolar disorder, and visual impairment, which makes her a target for local harassment as well.[1]
Instead of fighting back against the village kids, Veeru focuses on nature and local myths about gods and demons. Later in the film, he gets into the sport of Kabaddi and ends up leading his village team to a win at a state championship.[1]
Production
Directors Kanishka Sonthalia and Siddesh Shetty first met Veeru's family in 2017 while they were hiking through the Himalayas. After learning about the family's situation, they decided to film Veeru's growth from childhood into his teenage years. The documentary was produced by Kopuku Films in India and Elda Productions in France. It was made in association with several television networks, including BBC Storyville and France Télévisions, and received development funding from the Al Jazeera Documentary Channel, SVT, and NRK.[4]
Release and distribution
In February 2024, Taskovski Films bought the worldwide distribution rights to the film. Until I Fly had its world premiere on March 10, 2024, at the 27th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.[5] The film later aired on television, including a broadcast on BBC Four as part of the Storyville series on November 26, 2024.[3]
Critical reception
Panos Kotzathanasis of Asian Movie Pulse gave the film a positive review, praising Shetty's landscape cinematography and Audrey Maurion's editing. Kotzathanasis noted that the documentary successfully uses a small, local story to talk about broader issues of migration and discrimination, while keeping a realistic but hopeful tone at the end.[6]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Abbatescianni, Davide (2024-03-08). "Thessaloniki Int'l Comp: Until I Fly by Kanishka Sonthalia and Siddesh Shetty". Business Doc Europe. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
- ↑ Sharma, Sanjukta (2024-03-08). "India's documentary wave | 'To Kill a Tiger', 'Against the Tide, 'Until I Fly' — non-fiction storytelling is gaining a following". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
- 1 2 "BBC Four - Storyville, Until I Fly". BBC. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
- ↑ Sarkar, Vaaswat (2024-04-09). "'Until I Fly' Is An Indian Documentary That Captures The Turmoil Of Mixed Heritage". Homegrown. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
- ↑ Vourlias, Christopher (2024-02-28). "Indian Coming-of-Age Documentary 'Until I Fly' Acquired by Taskovski Ahead of Thessaloniki Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
- ↑ Kotzathanasis, Panos (2024-03-11). "Documentary Review: Until I Fly (2024) by Kanishka Sonthalia and Siddesh Shetty". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
External links
- Until I Fly at IMDb