Short film selected for Cannes: huge success for Jacobs University graduate
May 2nd, 2018
Already while he was at Jacobs University Bremen he acted in the theater and took part in dance events. Akshun Abhimanyu has now made it to Cannes - to compete in the Short Film Festival. His film, Seven Rounds, which will be premiering at Cannes, is based on a true story and deals with the discrimination encountered by immigrants in the United States.
In February 2017, engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla was shot dead in a bar in Kansas for racist reasons. Like him, Akshun Abhimanyu comes from India and now lives in the US. He knows the reservations that can be encountered as a "brown man with a beard," in his own words. He wrote the script of the short film together with a friend and acted in one of the leading roles. "Seven Rounds" takes place at the beginning of Donald Trump's presidency when he imposed an entry ban for people from certain Muslim countries.
Born in New Delhi, Akshun Abhimanyu graduated with a Bachelor's degree in biotechnology from Jacobs University in 2015. “I felt like home at Jacobs University”, he says. “Jacobs taught me the meaning of perseverance and to continue working towards my goal under any given circumstance. The university gave me the idea to live independently amongst people from all paths of life with diversity and learning by doing tasks as a team and collectively. I am grateful for the experience I made there.“ Among them were various performances at cultural events such as "Dancestoned" and "Spotlight", where students from the international university showcase their talents in dancing or singing.
After his studies in Bremen, Akshun Abhimanyu moved to the US. He attended the New York Film Academy in Burbank, California, and trained as a dancer at the Millennium Dance Complex in Los Angeles. He now lives there. The Cannes Film Festival will run from May 8 to May 19.
The trailer for Seven Rounds can be seen at:
https://vimeo.com/258190972