How Busan Title ‘Selvi’ Turns a Nurse’s Working Hours Into an Endurance Test
‘Selvi’, the first feature by Tamil filmmaker Sailesh Rathnakumar, follows a homecare nurse whose work expands from 12-hour shifts to 72 hours after she takes on a friend’s duties. Premiering in Busan’s Vision–Asia section, the film shows how accumulated work and small compromises can erode a person’s time and sense of self.
Anjali Patil plays Selvi and produces the film through Anahat Films. The story stays within Selvi’s point of view as she moves between private homes, while contrasting an opening beach scene with increasingly confined domestic interiors. Rathnakumar says the film also reflects inequalities in care work, including insecure jobs and the limited recognition given to workers who provide intimate, demanding support.
- Selvi’s shifts grow from 12 hours to 72.
- The film follows a nurse’s diminishing time for herself.
- It highlights the insecurity and low recognition in care work.
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Selvi is the debut feature by Tamil filmmaker Sailesh Rathnakumar. It follows a homecare nurse called Selvi who takes on extra shifts covering for a friend, expanding her work from 12-hour shifts to 72-hour stretches. The film examines how accumulated work and small compromises gradually erode a person's personal time and sense of identity.
The film stars Anjali Patil, who also produces through Anahat Films. It premiered in the Vision-Asia section at the Busan International Film Festival. The narrative stays focused on Selvi's experience as she moves between different private homes, using visual contrasts between an opening beach scene and increasingly confined domestic interiors to reflect her changing circumstances.
The film also explores broader inequalities within care work, including the job insecurity and limited recognition faced by workers who provide intimate and demanding support. Through Selvi's story, it highlights how personal sacrifice and systemic undervaluation can affect those in caregiving roles.