Actor turned producer Sonal Sehgal’s debut feature production Indo-Latvian Sci-Fi Feature MANNY, premiered in Latvia on the 7th of May. Sonal who debuted on the silver screen with Nagesh kuknoor’s “Aashayein” (2010) was last seen in “Lihaaf” (Voot, 2021) co-produced by Academy award winner Marc Baschet. She plays the lead role in MANNY and has jointly produced the film with Latvian Director-Producer Dace Puce.
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The premiere took place in ‘Splendid Palace’ a heritage cinema which dates back to 1906. It is one of the oldest and most beautiful cinemas in Europe! Says Sonal, who is in Latvia for the release of the film, “It was time to bring the film home to the Latvian audience and the premiere saw a packed house!”
“We went through a lot of trials making this film, but it paid off in the form of awards and now we are finally ready to share our labour of love with the Latvian audience. Hopefully, the next release will be in India”, sais Dace Puce, speaking to us from Latvia.
MANNY finished shooting just before Covid hit the world in 2020 and then the entire post production was done online with technicians from both countries working remotely. The film went on to have an incredibly successful festival run in 2021 collecting 11 international awards across the world! And an award in every category.
This is the second release for the feature film this year. It released in Taiwan earlier in January 2022.
The film has been scripted by Sonal Sehgal and it is a complex plot showcasing our growing dependence on AI. The plot keeps you on your toes as it explores relationships of the protagonist with 3 love interests - man, woman and AI. “The film is even more relevant now in a post-Covid world where our dependence on devices has grown manifold”, says Sonal.
Since the plot of the film is global, an affliction facing the entire human population, the film has a globally diverse cast of actors – Sonal Sehgal (Indian), Jujris Dyakonovs (Russian), Darta Danevica(Latvian) and Tony Hawkins (British)
The film has been produced by Dace Puce (Marana Productions, Latvia), Kristele Pudane (Latvia) and Sonal Sehgal (India). The background score of the film has been composed by Naresh Kamath, founder member of the world renowned Sufi band, Kailasa. Gatis Grinsberg has added his magical touch to the stunning cinematography in the film.
It’s unusual for a woman director to helm a Sci-Fi thriller, but Dace Puce has done it and come out with flying colours. The film has had a roaring success in the festival circuit having won 9 international awards across the world. Best Director (European Cinematography awards), Best Sci-Fi Feature (Miami International Science Fiction Festival), Best International Film (Rajasthan International Film Festival), Best Script (UK Asian Film Festival), Best Cinematography (Miami International Science Fiction Festival), Best Background Score (Miami International Science Fiction Festival), Best Supporting Actor for all three Actors (Miami International Science Fiction Festival).
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