It's enough of an achievement for a director to win an award at Cannes for his debut film, but to do so at age 19, that is truly remarkable. Yet that is exactly what Australian director Murali K. Thalluri did with "2:37," which picked up the Un Certain Regard award at last year's Cannes.
Unlike many first-time directors whose debuts represent carefully-crafted calling cards to the industry, "2:37" was a film the director had to make, compelled by the demons in his own life, including a friend's suicide and his own subsequent attempt. The director spoke to The Japan Times on the painful experiences that drove him to make the film.
When I got to the suicide scene, I almost bailed. It was unbearable. But when I got to the end of the film, I understood what you were trying to do.