Lucia

Pawan Kumar's 2013 Kannada film drew attention both for its story and for how it was made. A cinema worker suffering from insomnia is talked into taking a pill called Lucia that lets him live the life he wants in his dreams. From there the film runs two lines in parallel: everyday life shot in black and white, the dream world in colour. Which is real keeps blurring, and the viewer loses their bearings alongside the character. The production refused conventional financing; Pawan Kumar appealed through social media and raised around fifty lakh rupees from more than a hundred people, making it the first Kannada film funded entirely by the public. It earned many times its cost and became a reference point for regional independent cinema. Who it's for: viewers who like thrillers built on consciousness and dreams, and Indian independent film. Who it's not for: anyone wanting a clear resolution; the film ends deliberately unresolved.