CIFF 360 & Kep : Vinay Bharadwaj : Cinema in the Service of Art and the Ocean

With Beneath the Sea, presented in Kep as part of CIIF 360 and Art for Kep, director Vinay Bharadwaj delivers a film that is both aesthetic and committed, conceived to celebrate the beauty of the coastline while raising awareness about the fragility of the marine world.

Vinay Bharadwaj

Presented at CIIF 360 in Kep, Beneath the Sea immediately set the tone: that of a sensitive film, rooted in the beauty of the Cambodian coastline and driven by a genuine reflection on the sea, culture, and preservation. Made specifically for Art for Kep, Vinay Bharadwaj's project received strong reactions and established itself as both an artistic and committed work. "It was created for Art for Kep," the filmmaker explains, summarizing the spirit of the film.

An Extraordinary Journey

Vinay Bharadwaj is a creator with a singular background. Born in India and based in Singapore for his higher education, he first built a career in banking and investment before pivoting to media, then to cinema. "I never thought I would become a filmmaker," he admits, as if to remind us that his path to directing came in stages, almost by accident. But behind this unexpected trajectory, there is one constant: the desire to tell stories, to share, and to give meaning.

A Life Transformed by Hardship

His commitment deepened following a major personal ordeal. The illness and subsequent passing of his mother profoundly marked him. "It completely changed my life," he says. From that wound came a will to act, particularly through cancer awareness. He then launched an online show, Let's Talk with Vinay, before being noticed in Dubai to host a television program dedicated to South Asia. "I left my banking career," he recounts, highlighting the decisive turning point of a life now oriented toward creation.

Cinema as a Revelation

Cinema, at first, was not meant to be his calling. "Films became an accident," he explains simply. Yet this discovery of filmmaking opened up an immense field. One day, a hospital brand asked him to make a short film. Rather than delegating the writing, he decided to pick up the pen himself. "Why not write?" he thought. That decision changed everything. Since then, he has gone on to make short films, documentaries, music films, and fiction projects.

International Recognition

With his first Indian fiction film, Vinay Bharadwaj reached an important milestone. The film enjoyed a solid theatrical run, then reached an international audience when it was released on Netflix with subtitles in multiple languages. "When I saw the love from around the world, I understood that there was a filmmaker in me," he says. This reception reinforced his instinct as a storyteller and confirmed his desire to explore narratives capable of traveling beyond borders.

The Birth of Beneath the Sea

It is in this spirit that Beneath the Sea was born. The film was conceived for Kep, more specifically for Art for Kep and for the vision surrounding the Ocean Gallery. Bharadwaj sees it as far more than a simple backdrop: he perceives a place where art can engage in dialogue with environmental protection. "I packed my bags and went to Kep," he says. On location, he spent a week filming the landscapes, the fishing community, and the unique atmosphere of the coastline.

"Kep is beautiful. Nature is beautiful. The ocean is different," he confides.

A Strong Ecological Message

The film carries a clear message: the preservation of the sea is inseparable from the future of local communities. "It was about how to save the maritime life of the ocean," the director explains. Through his lens, illegal fishing, the gradual disappearance of resources, and the weakening of coastlines are not abstract subjects, but urgent human and ecological realities. "If there is no fishing community, the coasts will die," he warns. The film thus becomes a call for collective responsibility.

Art as a Tool for Impact

What is also compelling about Vinay Bharadwaj is his way of thinking about art as a lever for impact. For him, creating works only makes sense if they can move, awaken, and connect people.

"You bring art to Kep. You preserve maritime life," he sums up.

The Art for Kep concept excites him precisely because it combines artistic creation, the promotion of the territory, and the protection of a fragile ecosystem. "Artists from around the world create beautiful sculptures," he says, envisioning a space where art also becomes an act of conservation.

An Intense Shoot

The filming of Beneath the Sea was intense, but carried out with energy. The film runs about thirty minutes, shot over ten days, after roughly one month of preparation and nearly a month and a half of post-production. "I was in a rush to finish it," he acknowledges, so that the work would be ready for the festival. This speed did not diminish the emotional impact of the result — on the contrary, it gives the film a sense of spontaneity, sincerity, and almost immediate vitality.

Upcoming Projects

Beyond Kep, Vinay Bharadwaj is already looking ahead. He mentions projects between Singapore, France, and Cambodia, as well as a fiction film in development. "France, Cambodia, a French, English film — it's something on the cards," he says, hinting at a new chapter in his international journey. His interest in cross-border collaborations reflects an open vision of cinema, where identities intersect and stories travel freely.

A Work, a Place, an Encounter

In Kep, Beneath the Sea did not simply screen — it met a place, a community, and a cause. And that may be where the strength of Vinay Bharadwaj's work truly lies. "I really hope I will come back to film something else," he concludes. A simple phrase, but one that says a great deal: the desire to keep looking at the world, to tell its stories, and to protect it.