1. Meenakshi Shedde dons many hats- film critic, curator to
festivals worldwide, journalist and writer on social issues. But
what stands out is her deep, passionate understanding of cinema. It
is what probably keeps her verve intact, despite a day of watching
movies back-to-back as the NETPAC jury member of IFFK 2015, as
she speaks on how there is a need to promote good films.
“When Satyajit Ray passed away, thousands came to pay
their respects. But when his last film Agantuk was screened,
theatres ran half empty. India is a graveyard of good cinema,”
she says.
Presence of film societies and festivals is critical in India,
where Independent cinema struggles to find a space. “Film
screenings at festivals should be followed by such an interaction
where it could be explained why the film was good,” she says.
“What is needed is educating people about good cinema,” she
says. The effort should be to bring about a scene in the country
when good films among both commercial and Independent
cinema should run in theatres.
Meenakshi contributes towards this in many
ways. Her writings, for one. Then, as consultant on
Indian films to festivals abroad, she tries to make
the voice of Indian cinema in global forums. Also, as
a resource person at workshops and institutes, she
works with cineastes to help them hone skills to
appreciate good cinema.
Going
But in India, there is need for a more prominent space for
such films, she says. “Whenever we talk of world cinema, it is
either Iranian or French, or Italian. I have never heard anyone
talk of Indian films in this context,” she says. As a mentor at
the young critics’ lab at Mumbai International Film Festival,
she urged the participants to watch a range of Indian films to
get across to them the idea of fine content.
That the new creed of film-makers are trying to tell stories
differently offers a lot of hope, she says. There are directors
like Anurag Kashyap and Neeraj Ghaywan who understand
the need to make films with local flavour yet bearing a
global appeal. This trend is slowly paying off. Ritesh Batra’s
The Lunchbox, the story of an epistolary relationship set in
Mumbai between a crusty widower and a neglected house-
wife, was an international box office hit. Masaan, setin
downtown Varanasi, won applause in a premier festival like
Cannes and within two months of it got metro releases in
India.
“So glocal is the word,” she says. With her repertoire of
information on the many layers
of Indian cinema, a universal
vision to match, and her
efforts to get across good
Indian cinema to foreign
audience, Meenakshi her
self fits into the ‘glocal’
milieu well.
Manasvi |
Indian
Cinema
'Glocal’With

2. Renowned filmmaker Adoor
Gopalakrishnan said that the
International Film Festival of Kerala
(IFFK) should focus in promoting quality
Malayalam cinema through the festival
at the Open Forum on ‘20 years of IFFK’,
held at Tagore theatre. International
programmers and curators Alessandra
Speciale, June Givanni and Rosa Carillo
suggested measures for promoting
Malayalam cinema in international film
festival. According to Alessandra, the
Chalachitra Academy and film societies
of Kerala should send a package of
Malayalam movies to international film
festivals.“Mycountry,Italy,isheadingfor
the 26th
edition of film festival. We have
watched few Malayalam productions
and we would happily accept your
movies in packages for screening in our
festival,” she said. “You can also try for
foreign co-productions which would
help in networking and promoting the
movies.” June from Guyana said that
the Indian diaspora could be tapped
for popularising Malayalam cinema
internationally. “Indians in general and
Keralites in particular are based in every
corner of the world. Even Africa has
a large Kerala-origin community. The
academy should conduct film festivals
in these regions. Even a story on their
perspective will also gain accolades
internationally,” said June, who has
been the curator for African and Latin
American films at IFFK. Also present at
theprogrammewereKeralaChalachitra
Academy chairman T Rajeevnath,
and film personalities K R Mohanan
and Beena Paul. Noted journalist M G
Radhakrishnan moderated the session.
Sheds Light On Ways To Promote Malayalam Cinema
OpenForum
20th edition of International Film Festival of Kerala
celebrated the 76th
birthday of iconic Iranian filmmaker
Dariush Mehrjui at Tagore Theatre, yesterday. Mehrjui, following
the celebrations, said that he is much excited to be part of the
festival in Kerala. “IFFK has always maintained the standard to
screen quality movies,” he said.
A birthday cake was cut in the presence of his spouse Vahideh
Mohammadifar and their daughter apart from Kerala Chalalchitra
Academy, chairman T Rajeev Nath and other guests. Mehrjui will
be honoured with Life Time Achievement Award on the closing
ceremony. His six films are being screened at the festival as part
of this.
IFFK Celebrates Mehrjui’s Birthday
Debutant director Amartya Bhattacharyya and award-
winning director Lingavedaru B S suggested that there were
no curbs on artistic tolerance and felt that restrictions might in
fact, be a good thing, in ‘Meet the Director’ programme. Also
present were veteran Malayalam industry director Harikumar
R and Bangladeshi director Abu Shahed Emon. Odisha director
Bhattacharyya, said that he liked restrictions. Harikumar,
director of Kattum Mazhayum averred: “In films, our greatest
limiters are our censors.” Kannada director Lingavedaru’s film
I Am Not He... She is about transgenders, and felt that “we
need to have some boundaries.... we live in a very tolerant
country”.Also present at the programme was popular actor
Unni Mukundan, who has acted in Kattum Mazhayum.
Restrictions Are Not A Bad
Thing: Amartya Bhattacharya
MEETTHEDIRECTOR
2

3. As it is made by the eminent ones who
are eligible to announce the awards
in the iffk, the package Jury Films would
garner huge audience appeal this time
also. The films that will endorse to the
directorial talents of these masters will
be an auspicious treat to the film lovers
in IFFK 2015. The three films lined up
in this category are Garato, Ezra, Ajeyo
which are the windows to the filmic
craftsmanship of the eminent directors
Julio Bressane, Newton I Aduaka, Jahnu
Barua.
Garato, directed by Julio Bressane, is
basedontheshortstoryTheDisinterested
Killer Bill Harrigan written by Jorge
Louis. “It is a film that has at its core a
mischievous insurgent sexual energy that
bristles and sparks relentlessly poetic
hybris. Those who are not familiar with
Bressane’s work may be puzzled by the
minimalistic approach and its reiterative
patterns, but it is obvious that Garoto
is just a different kind of educaçao
sentimental” says Giona M Nazzaro a
film critic and journalist. The film follows
a young couple who find themselves in an
enchanted place where they experience
an amorous and spiritual adventure.
Being the chief jury of 20th
IFFK, Julio
Bresane Granto will get due attention in
this edition.
Newton I Aduaka’s Ezra is a factional
tale inspired by the Sierra Leonan
conflict. It has won numerous Grand
Jury Prizes in different film festivals
like Durban International film festival,
Amiens international film festival etc.
Ezra is the first film which gives an
African perspective on the disturbing
phenomenon of abducting children for
the civil wars. It leaves its viewer in a
very different place and it offers no big
resolutions or pre-packaged emotions.
The ending is realistic and simple in its
attempts to tell a truth. Nigerian director
Newton I Aduaka’s film has its own raft
of problems, which eventually conspire
to drain its relevant, pressing story about
children being kidnapped and turned into
soldiers by murde
rous guerrilla batta
lions of coherence
and intensity. An
England - based,
Nigerian born film
maker, winner of
Best Director at the
Pan African Film
Festival, portrayed
the African deve
lopment through
his life.
Ajeyo, directed by Jahnu Barua is
a sophisticated independence story in
India during the period of Mahatma
Gandhi. Honest and aggressive to the
core the central character Gojen Keot
is his own way to participate in the
freedom movement and in the process
started dreaming of a heaven like country
that India would become after the
independence. Throughout the film the
director truly depicts the Hindu Muslim
conflict before the partition of India,
dashed hopes after independence and
the courage of women on an enthralling
level. “It deals with social issues that are
still relevant to our youth”, says Barua
the veteran director, who is also one
among the juries in IFFK. His film is a
cinematic adaptation of the Sahithya
academy Award winning Assamees
novel Ashirbador Rong, written by Arun
Sharma.
Amala T Chacko |
Jury
09th
December 20153

4. Yesterday some of
the most eminent
filmmakers from the
country like Adoor
Gopalakrishnan, Girish Kasaravally,
MS Sathyu, KR Mohanan, Rajiv Nath
etc declared their solidarity with the
students at FTII, who have been forced to
make a strategic retreat from their strike,
but are continuing their struggle through
various other means. All the filmmakers
and programmers who participated in
the discussion emphasized the need to
protect the professional autonomy of
public institutions.
The most important and significant
aspect of the FTII struggle has been
the pan-Indian solidarity and support
that it was able to garner; filmmakers,
writers, film lovers and intellectuals
from all over the country supported
their struggle and attempted to bring
about a resolution. Though their efforts
have not yet succeeded, the struggle has
succeeded in raising a very crucial issue
at the national level – the autonomy and
freedom of public cultural and academic
institutions. That students were at the
forefront of this, and their conviction
about the need to connect with other
similar institutions and seek support
of the intelligentsia at large are very
positive signals. Their mode of protest,
in a way, indicate the political potential
and energy of new media generation,
who are usually blamed for being
apolitical and careerist.
That IFFK could offer a platform
to voice such concerns is also very
significantespeciallywhenonecompares
it with the IFFI where even peaceful and
harmless declarations of solidarity - like
wearing badges and T shirts in support
of the Strike – were prevented forcefully.
IFFK has always remained to be an open
space for debates and arguments, which
is what makes it different from other
festivals. When everything around us is
being privatized, corporatized and asked
to become financially viable, we need
to defend, nurture and develop public
spaces and venues like IFFK, where
one can express voices of dissent and
difference.
Let us keep the spirit of freedom and
democracy alive..l.
venkitycs@gmail.com
IFFK And The Spirit Of ProtestCS Venkiteswaran |
Pradip Biswas |
Guetamalan films
are a rare species
in International Film
Festivals of India. Thanks to 20th
edition
of IFFK, we are coaxed into one film
from Guetamala called Volcano directed
by Jayro Bustamante. The film is of 90
minute duration and is a joint production.
The film won the Silver Bear at Berlin.
Besides, the film is said to have travelled
to Cannes and Montreal and shown
outside the main competition.
Jayro Bustamante looks determined
to use a minimal plot in the back-
drop of rugged mountainous region
of Guetamala. The film unfolds only
four main characters to structure the
dramatic tension with a kind of catharsis.
While dealing with Maria, the girl in the
film, her lover Pepe, her parents and the
chosen man Ignacio, the film leaps into
domestic conflict due to clandestine
relationship with Pepe, a teenaged guy
who tucks Maria into a sexual caper,
making Maria pregnant. Crisis triggers off
febrile tension as her marriage is almost
fixed with Ignacio.
The dramatic peripetia that is built up
by the director to salvage the conflicting
crisis at the social as well as domestic
front looks stilted as no sensible handling
of the motif is evident. Only febrile
tension is found active to duck-shove
Ignacio, who is kept of the affair in the
dark. So the frightened family takes all
efforts, often elusive, to move towards
an abortive solution of Maria, losing
her child in birth. The coda part only
Volcano: Guetamalan Film
Flutters To Take Off
highlights the neurosis of Maria and
the rest seems to have lost the edge of
the film, a viable point in Guetamalan
perspective.
It should be mentioned Guatemala
was under military suppression for
decades sparking off gray, grimy and
restricted life for the Guetamalan society
and its hard pressed agrarian people.
But unfortunately, the director, probably
being unaware of Guetamalan past
history, anchors her movement on frail
premises. Much of its content falls into
ellipses, offering viewers no provocation
and cinematic insight.
As a result, the film Volcano fails
to erupt to our cinematic expectation
and ends with a whimper. Repressed
Guetamalan reality is thrown into the fore-
wind and we come out with a nihilism.
4

5. The Pear Trea (Dir: Dariush Mehrjui)
will be screened today in Nila at 11.45am
instead of Orange Suit
Schedule Change
PRESS MEET
12PM | Tagore Premises
MEET THE DIRECTOR
3 PM | Tagore Premises
OPEN FORUM
5 PM | Tagore Premises
Theyyam - Folklore Academy
6.30 PM | Tagore Premises
By Nandhakumar Karivelloor and Party
Jugalbandi
6.30 PM | Bharath Bhavan
EVENTSTODAY
SEMINAR - Kerala Sahitya Academy
4 PM | Executive Lounge, Mascot Hotel
Film & Literature
In Conversation with
Mr. Dariush Mehrjui by
Mr. Suresh Chabria
5 PM | Tagore Theatre
Ajay Saga
Entries are invited from students for ‘Filca Campus Film Festival-2016’
which will be held on 1st
and 2nd
March, 2016. There will be two
categories – Fiction and Non-Fiction. First prize will be awarded Rs.
7,500/- and second prize Rs. 5,000/- for each category. Venue will be
informed. For further details, please contact,
Ph: 9446330368, 0471-2490368 E-mail: drnairmkp@gmail.com
Chitranjali Studio, a unit of KSFDC Ltd. adds new facilities in their
package for film production. The package includes O/D units, floors,
locations, editing, dubbing, effects recording, surround mixing, DI,
greenmat AC floor (14x11x5 mtr.), preview and accommodation.
The film/documentary/short film package comes with the benefit of
government subsidy (conditions apply). For enquires and booking,
please contact, Ph: 0471-2381451, 52, 53, 2380946, 0484-242809
(Kochi) E-mail: chitranjalistudio@yahoo.com, Website: www.ksfdc.in
Entries open for
‘Filca Campus Film Festival-2016’
Chitranjali Studio adds new facilities
in Film Package
"I am very much exited to be a part of this film
buffs. This is my first IFFK. Delegate restriction in the
inaugural ceremony was little bit annoying".
"The distribution of delegate passes and arrangement
of reservation counters are well disciplined. increased
number in theatre facilitated in cinema viewing".
Sudheer Kumar, Social Activist
Delegates Column
Dhanya Sudhershan, IT Employee
Mudiyettu performance by Keezhillam Unnikrishnan and
Party organised by Kerala Folklore Academy
Padayani performance by Kuttoor Prasannakumar Thiruvalla
and Party organised by Kerala Folklore Academy
09th
December 20155

6. Festival Director T Rajeevnath, Chaiman KSCA Chief Editor S Rajendran Nair, Secretary KSCA Editorial Board Chairman J Ajith Kumar
Convenor Renji Kuriakose Coordinator Jayanthi Narendranath Members Alex Vallikunnam, CP Sree Harshan, Beena Khalam, Sajeev, Anand
Executive Editor Sadeesh Chalippadam Associate Editor Mammed Montage Assistant Editor TM Hisham Sub Editor Haris Nenmeni
Reporters Amala T Chacko, Jayasree C, Keerthana Mannayam Stills Ajay Saga, Shijin V K Design & Layout Shabeer M P Layout Assistant
Saeed Fasal Printing Akshara Offset, Thiruvananthapuram Editorial Support Haris Kormath
Printed & published by S Rajendran Nair, Secretary, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, Thiruvananthapuram on behalf of
the Department of Cultural Affairs, Govt of Kerala.
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a-X t‑I-{‑´‑o-I‑r-X A-[‑n-I‑m-c h‑y-h-Ø-b‑p-s‑S C-c-I-f‑m-b‑n-
¯‑o-c‑p-¶ I-Y‑m-]-{‑X-§Ä‑, k‑z-b‑w ‑nÀ-½‑n-X-a‑m-b N-«-I‑q-S‑p-
IÄ X-IÀ-¡‑m-‑p‑w s‑s‑h-a--k‑y‑w I‑m-W‑n-¡‑p-¶‑p. I‑m-ä‑n-‑p‑w
a-g-b‑v-¡‑p‑w a‑m-b‑v-¨‑p-I-f-b‑m³ ]-ä‑m-s‑X L-‑o-`-h‑n-¨‑p I‑n-S-¡‑p-¶
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h‑n-X-§Ä C-¶‑p‑w ‑n-e-‑nÂ-¡‑p-¶‑p F-¶‑v k‑n-‑n-a h‑o-ï‑p‑w
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A-S-b‑m-f-§Ä
A few years ago, the director might have succumbed
to liver cancer if not for a life saving transplant an
experience that forms the basis for Force of Destiny,
the first full-length feature he's made since. The
film depicts a version of Cox's journey after a cancer
diagnosis and liver transplant.
The film features the story of a renowned
sculptor Robert who lives alone surrounded by his
tools and his quintessential crafts. His family gets
shocked when he gets diagnosed with cancer; the
film follows his life and his relationship with Maya,
an Indian biologist who comes from a different world
and different reality. Maya transmogrifies his life in
such a way that his mind is filled with the extreme
desire to live. He has to confront the agony and pain
of his life threatening disease.
Cox’s way of narration is incongruous to
mainstream film making. Force of destiny still has
fragmental surrealism such as couple of sinister
characters in clown masks. Often, though, he's
content to fall back on the most basic "point and
shoot" style, framing the actors in unfussy wide shots
as if they were on a stage.
Cox’s technical paucities were less palpable that
his way of narration is singularly so close to life,
normally considered as much more real than life by
well acclaimed film critics. How one deciphers his
work is all about understanding and responding to
his personality, his highly agnostic spirituality, his
slightly ponderous humour and all the other quirks
that make him unlike anybody else.
Anand |
IoÀ¯ a®bw |
Distinctively
Real
Paul Cox has been both praised and reviled over the years, but he is
undeniably Australia’s most stupendous art house film maker. IFFK
20 is lucky enough to have one of his well acclaimed work of art ‘Force
of Destiny’ screened on 8th
December 2015. It was a perfect treat for
film aficionados and dilettantes who made their presence in IFFK 20.
The much touted movie is produced by Maggie Miles, Mark Patterson
and Baby Mathew Somatheeram who is a pioneer in Ayurvedic
wellness treatment in Kerala.
09th
December 20157

8. Partners Technical Partners
Femalefilmdirectorsamuse,delightand
inspire us with their talent behind the
camera for crafting memorable movies.
But it is no secret that female film makers
are not getting the same recognition or
opportunities that male directors do and
this has been a massive issue since the
birth of film. The problem is not limited to
any specific industry, but a global stigma,
where women have played big roles
but forgotten later on in film industry.
Although many who are active today seek
refuge in independent filmmaking, TV
and online media, they are, increasingly
so, receiving more attention worldwide.
“If there's specific resistance to women
making movies, I just choose to ignore
that as an obstacle for two reasons: I can't
change my gender, and I refuse to stop
making movies”, opines Kathryn Bigelow,
the only Academy Award winning female
director.
Reflecting on the increasing presence
of women in world cinema, 20th
International Film Festival of Kerala
has devoted a section ‘Women Power’
exclusively to recognise them. Apart from
this, the fest showcases works of over 20
women directors from across the globe in
six other packages - World Cinema, Inter
national Competition, Country Focus,
Korean Panorama, First Look and Indian
Cinema Now.
In the Word Cinema category, around
10 movies are included made by female
directors. The crafts of Deniz Gamze
Ergüven (Mustang), Kristina Grozeva (The
Lesson), Maiwenn (Mon Roi) and so on
will provide a novel visual experience to
the viewers. Rubaiyat Hossain represents
Bangladesh in this category with Under
Construction, which is about a woman
struggling to find herself in the sprawl of
urban Bangladesh.
Iranian cinema is making way for a
new generation of film-makers with Ida
Panahandeh. The writer-director has
made a splash with her film debut Nahid,
a stimulating portrait of the tortuous
legal complications and social stigmas
concerning divorce and remarriage in
Iran.
Women directors, of course, are not
limited to directing critically acclaimed
dramas or films geared toward female
moviegoers. For decades, women have
been directing in genres ranging from
comedy and horror to animation and
sports.
Making her presence in the
‘International Competition’ section,
Khazakiatan director Zhanna Issabayeva’s
sixth venture Bopem unravels the psyche
of a 14-year-old boy who seeks revenge
through his solitary life in the dried
Aral Sea. It was premiered at Warsaw
International Film Festival also.
Lithuanian director Kristina Buožytė's
master's degree diploma film The
Collectress, which is about a young
woman Gailė who lost her ability to feel
the emotions after her father's death
found its place in the ‘Contry Focus’
category.
Satarupa Sanyal’s Opala... The journey
of a Woman and Manju Borah’s Song of
the Horned Owl are the two movies which
made into the ‘Indian Cinema Now’
section. "It's festivals like these where
I get to showcase my work. It doesn't
matter how many come to watch, but I'm
thankful to those who get to watch my
film," says Manju Borah, whose film was
screened earlier this year at the Montreal
World Film Festival (MWFF).
Jayasree C |
Deframing
The Patriarchal
Dictates
8