At the Stairs

synopsis

Many Hindu windows are traditionally encouraged or forced to live for the rest of their lives in Banaras to seek moksha - liberation from the cycle of life and death. It is believed that dying in Banaras promises moksha. ‘At the Stairs' captures the lonely moments and lifeless lives of three aged widows who have been waiting for decades to die in Banaras. Ironically, they live at a paradoxical venue, Manikarnika Ghat, the busiest cremation ground. This film glimpses through the silence of these lonely souls living amidst the deafening sound of death rituals.