Obsolete

For Narayan and Iravati Lavate, an octogenarian couple living in Mumbai, the longing for a peaceful death under their own control seems eminently reasonable. But obstacles abound, namely, the illegality of euthanasia and its taboo within Hindu culture. As their request to be euthanized, a first in the subcontinent, gets caught up in Modi’s bureaucracy, the neighborhood around them churns with the noisy hustle and bustle of life, a life they feel increasingly detached from. They’re forced to question: why must the desire for death come with the same suffering as that which accompanied life? With an acute observational eye and beautiful mise en scene, Obsolete refuses the impulse to turn away, and looks firmly at two elders entwined in their desire for a dignified passing. (True/False Film Festival)