Agra

Agra is one of the most visited cities in India thanks to the famous Taj Mahal. It's a land full of contrasts, especially social; there are beautiful historical monuments, luxury shopping malls and restaurants, from which you can see a family of six with a newborn baby having dinner on the pavement – not something you’ll see in Bollywood. I was all the more interested in this film and the story of a young man, torn between fantasy and reality, who, like many men from lower castes, suffers from sexual frustration. This pushes him to absolutely desperate measures, whether it's attempting suicide or raping his cousin. He tries online dating, but fails, and eventually tries to succeed with a disadvantaged woman who doesn't have much chance of finding a suitable match herself. I think the film is successful at reflecting that sad reality, but a bit flawed at times (for example, the violent scenes where it is quite obvious that it is a fiction). What will stick in my mind forever is the opening "love scene" with the squirrel, and the fact that the cinema was brutally cold, which definitely spoiled the experience. But the film held my attention and I wanted to finish it. [Festival de Cannes 2023] (05/30/2023)