A moving portrait of Chika Kapadia’s courageous journey, a man who defied conventions to chart his own course toward a dignified end. When diagnosed with cancer and given four months to live, Chika makes the radical yet deeply personal decision to seek physician-assisted death at Dignitas in Switzerland.
Yet, rather than a story of grief, Shonali Bose and Nilesh Maniyar make an intimate film brimming with joy and humor. Embracing his life fully in its fleeting moments, we witness Chika spending his final days in the company of those he loved most, sharing ice creams and conversations that range from the profound to the hilarious.
As both a filmmaker and friend, Bose brings an honesty and tenderness that makes this documentary as vibrant as its subject by illuminating the power of choice and the grace of saying goodbye on one’s own terms.
The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) is proud to partner with IFFLA for this presentation.
Nilesh Maniyar, Shonali Bose
A Fly on the Wall marks the fourth collaboration of directors Nilesh Maniyar and Shonali Bose. Their decade-long journey of filmmaking together began with the landmark feature film Margarita with a Straw, starring Kalki Koechlin, which they co-wrote, co-directed, and co-produced. It had its world premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival where it won the NETPAC Jury Award. It screened in more than 100 film festivals and received 48 awards. Margarita with a Straw was followed by The Sky is Pink, starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Farhan Akhtar, which was also co-written by Maniyar and Bose, and directed by Bose. The Sky is Pink was the only Asian film in the 2019 Gala section at TIFF. Maniyar wrote Raatrani, directed by Bose and starring Fatimah Sana Shaikh, which became the first episode of Modern Love Mumbai on Prime Video. Maniyar has also directed the documentary Black Sunshine Baby (streaming on Netflix) and is currently developing a series and a feature film. Bose’s debut feature Amu (2005) won two National Awards in India, and was invited to Berlin and TIFF amongst many other festivals.
