Appavukku Kalyanam

An intimate portrait of a mother on a quest for the most effective educational platform for her young son. After signing up her son to an alternative education school, a mother decides to document his journey during his entire primary school experience. Over the course of six years and through the camera lens, she follows a group of students as they come of age, flourish, and gain their autonomy. During this time, the children learn to practice the values taught by the school, which are featured in the film. As her son prepares for graduation, the mother realizes that she has also been transformed by the experience and wonders which of the two would be perceived as more autonomous today. Filmed using an up-close and personal approach with a cinema vérité style, Once Upon 6 Times is a heartwarming film about learning human values and the transition from childhood to puberty. —Steve Mandamadiotis