DRAWING A LINE

Berlin Premiere

Indian illustrator Rachita Taneja draws political comics with stick figures, which has gained her a large following on social media. Her clever, concise panels, which are vividly animated in the film, address current events, often through a feminist lens. However, Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government is cracking down on critical voices, and Taneja is charged with contempt of court. The camera stays close to her, in part because security concerns have forced her to work from her flat. Her anonymity becomes a necessity, illustrating how difficult it is to have open discussions about censorship and press freedom in India.