Celestina and Lawrence is an intimate gaze on life in cities beyond the metropolitan landscape of India. While mainstream films seek to mark a clear small town vs big city distinction with their stories and narratives, the focus of Celestina and Lawrence is on a city that is neither "small" nor a metropolitan. Set in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand and in some of the surrounding tribal villages, the physical spaces that the film explores are distinctly fresh. The film follows its protagonists, Celestina (Ankita Kerketta) and Lawrence (Salib Minj) both of whom have migrated to Ranchi, leaving behind the staid but certain life of their respective villages. They are aspirational in a non-dramatic manner- Celestina, who works as a laborer at construction sites, is also a single mother to a toddler. She is not specifically career driven but has a passion for leading life as she deems fit. She prefers the vastness that cities offer and is undeterred by the terrible treatment meted out to her by her lover and the harassment she faces from the police.
On the other hand, Lawrence is a romantic- he has a Titanic poster in his bedroom and dreams of marrying his girlfriend. He is clear in his aspiration of leaving behind poverty and creating a respectable life for himself. He manages construction sites and also doubles up as a watchman. He wants to eventually become a contractor but his plans are derailed by the economic slump caused by demonetization. The construction boom in Ranchi and its simple promise of providing an opportunity for people from the villages to seek a space in the city's economy is deftly captured. The film stays away from a unifying point of view regarding migration and instead portrays different perspectives through conversations that Lawrence has with people in his village.
Both Celestina and Lawrence face rejection in love but the consequences that they face as a result differ vastly, primarily because of their genders. While Celestina is lonely and almost alone in her struggles, Lawrence has a reasonably comfortable dynamic with his friends and family.
The Director Vikram Kumar is from Ranchi and he provides a rare insider's view of the spaces and the people in the area. Actors Kerketta and Minj seamlessly inhabit their characters, making Celestina and Lawrence as real as our own selves. There are several instances where a less sensitive filmmaker would have slipped into sensationalizing the scenes, for instance the easy co-existence of people on both sides of the Naxalite movement, the lifestyle and practices among tribal communities etc. Since most of the cast and crew are all local to the region, the film tilts in favor of respect and empathy over voyeurism.
For almost half of the film's runtime, the camera keeps the viewers at a certain distance from the characters as they go about their struggles independently. The film then undergoes a soft tonal shift to a more intimate gaze, setting the stage for the protagonists to meet. The scenes depicting the poignant struggle of Celestina at her workplace trying to handle a toddler along with manual labor is handled with a rare dignity. At this point, the film sweeps up the viewers in the beautifully intersecting worlds of Celestina and Lawrence. The starkness of life in the city is smoothened as the two forge a connection. As smiles and conversations flow, the anxieties lessen. The local milieu combines with the universality of simple human companionship, broadening the appeal and the perspective of the film.
Celestina & Lawrence premiered at the Kolkata People's film festival earlier this year. It has been selected to compete in the New Filmmakers Competition at the 48th Mostra Sao Paulo International film festival.
