Shaping Perspective by Shifting the Gaze
“It is in the process of making my new film I realised a palpable lack of female representation in the entertainment outfit of India. That and also in my 14 years’ experience of working on 500 + adverts, I have only worked with 4 women directors. I found this statistic offensive. But what pushed me over the edge was when I saw 4 male directors (known for making women empowerment films) on a Manel speaking of women issues. When asked why women directors were not part of the conversation, the nonchalant answer I got was “Where are the women directors?” In July 2020 I formed a production company called Wench Films to promote and push women talent (LGBTQ inclusive) from India to the world.
- Sapna Moti Bhavnani, Founder
Our Work
My Dog Is Sick (2021)
My Dog is Sick pursues a couple traversing through isolation. The alpha male and the conscious female both seeking to destroy each other by pushing dormant buttons and grasping pleasure in serving and devouring each other. It’s a circle that liberates before it starts to suffocate.
Featuring - Rajshri Deshpande and Anshuman Jha
Hybrid Feature - 64 Mins
World Premiere - New Horizons International Film Festival
Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxxjnSolFQY
Janaan
(2020)
Featuring - Sapna Moti Bhavnani, Noor Mohammad & Irfaan Bukhari
Music Video - 4 mins
World Premiere - Zee Music Company
Watch Here -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8wFcR1eP7M
Landfills of Desire
(2025)
On the still waters of Dal Lake, a Rantas (Kashmiri Witch) glides alone through the night. Neither living nor dead, she searches for what cannot be returned - herself.
Featuring - Sapna Moti Bhavnani, Toby Poser
Short - 7 mins
World Premiere - Fantastic Fest
Official Trailer - https://youtu.be/9qZy26Qlth8
In Development
In remote Kashmir, a mother gives birth to a son with a rare condition that makes him increasingly bear-like. Her manipulative mother-in-law, steeped in ancient ritual, insists his transformation is divine and arranges his marriage to a 12-year-old virgin claiming her blood holds the cure.
Story by Sapna Moti Bhavnani
Screenplay by Sapna Moti Bhavnani | Ishan Shukla
In the heart of rural India, a 28-year-old woman with hypertrichosis also known as the 'werewolf syndrome' battles societal stigma and embraces her unique heritage as she pursues her dreams of becoming a singer and actor, blurring the lines between her real and reel life.
Directed by Sapna Moti Bhavnani
Shaping
Perspectives
by Shifting
The GAZE!