Our cities today are divided along various lines – from density or economic backgrounds to caste, gender etc. Less known are the divisions that sleep carves out of urban spaces. Under the theme of storytelling, Shaunak uncovers the realm of sleep in the city of Delhi through his documentary. 

‘Cities of Sleep’ takes us into a heady world of insurgent sleeper’s communities as well as the infamous ‘sleep mafia’ in Delhi where just securing a safe sleeping spot often becomes a question of life and death for a large number of people. The film looks at not only the tremendous social and political pressure that sleep exerts on the homeless in the city but is also a philosophical exploration of sleep at large. At Tambu talks, Shaunak talks of the conception of the film and his experience during its shoot spanning over two years – documenting the lives of the homeless who occupy the fringes of our society and hence, the public spaces spanning over two years – documenting these informal sleep economies and the myriad lives that are dependent on them.