GANESH YOURSELF

Emmanuel Grimaud | India, France 2016 | 67 Min. | OmeU

In the tumultuous city of Mumbai, a strange robot appears. Its name is Bappa, and it looks like the god, Ganesha. Anyone can volunteer to control it from a distance, and hence take on the voice of God. Bappa soon becomes a convincing interface for broadcasting ideas and opinions. As the Ganesha festival is at its height, Hindu priests use the robot to transmit their incantations, astrologers make predictions for their customers and militants speak through the mechanical deity to propose social reforms. For the first time in the history of religions, it is possible to take the place of God, and for those who believe, to converse with Him or appeal to His wisdom.