THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 16 December 2006 — With more than 5,000 delegates, eight venues, 220 films and some 265 screenings, the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) has come of age.
With massive participation of film buffs and the screening of the best and most recent international films, the 11th edition of IFFK that ended here yesterday could no doubt be rated as the best film fete in India if regulars at these festivals are to be believed.
“This festival is artistically one of the richest festivals I have been to,” said Tunisian filmmaker Ibrahim Letaief, who was here with his 2004 short film “Visa”.
Majority of them who had attended the recent International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa felt that the festival was primarily meant for the serious filmmakers and audience.
“The organizers selected films with utmost care and the retrospectives. World cinema section and other packages were of a unique nature,” said noted Indian filmmaker Jabbar Patel. “They were a judicious mix of the old as well as the contemporary. Delegates try to see and understand new innovations and structures.”
Eminent Palestine filmmaker Elia Suleiman chaired the jury that comprised South African filmmaker Darrel Roodt, English actor Julie Christie and South Indian actor Revathy. The festival got off to a colorful start on Dec. 8 at the Nishagandhi open-air auditorium.
Some 26 artists and technicians of early Malayalam cinema were honored prior to the inaugural function, including Madhu, Adoor Bhavani, V. Dakshinamoorthy, Jayabharathi, K.J. Yesudas, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Sukumari, Navodaya Appachan, Sreekumaran Thampy, Subramanyam Kumar, G.K. Pillai, Sobhana Parameswaran and K.P. Udayabhanu.
They were all active in the film industry during the first decade after the formation of the state, which is currently celebrating its golden jubilee year.
“The festival was planned to be a landmark in the cultural history of the state as we were entering the 51st year of our existence as a vibrant state in the Indian republic,” M.A. Baby, the minister for education and culture, said after 50 eminent personalities, including the veterans who were honored, lighted 50 lamps representing 50 years of the state. Dada Saheb Phalke award winner Adoor Gopalakrishnan, film director Goutam Ghose, jury members Julie Christie and Revathi and director T.V. Chandran also attended the function.
“Sounds of Sand”, the French film by Belgian filmmaker and actress Marion Hansel was the inaugural film. The film portrays the only literate in a village that struggles to survive as war and famine leave a trail of destruction and disaster.
That set the trend. More than half of the films had similar stories to tell. Struggle for survival seemed the common thread to all films. According to the organizers, the festival has gained a unique character on the international circuit as it was screening Afro-Asian and Latin American films that portray the struggles for existence and contemporary issues with a historic perspective. It was now being considered as a potential platform for the filmmakers who resist the invasion of commercial films.
There were 14 films in the competition section including a Malayalam film, Drishtaantham, directed by M.P. Sukumaran Nair and a Tamil film, Aadum Kooththu, directed by celebrated Kerala filmmaker T.V. Chandran.
Retrospectives of films by Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Brazilian director Glauber Rocha were among the highlights of the festival. There were also photo exhibitions, one based on Adoor Gopalakrishnan and his films and another based on the era of silent movies.
The Iranian package included films that depict the emotional turbulence in families as well as current social issues. Mohsen Makhmalbaf, whose 2006 film shot in India, “Scream of the Ants”, was shown to the packed houses here, remained hugely popular.
Four films of Sven Nykvst, two films each of Pavithran and Srividya, and one film of Padmini found a place in the homage section. Nizhalkuthu in which the late Oduvil Unnikrishnan played a prominent role will be screened in the retrospective of Adoor Gopalakrishnan.
At a face-to-face program, Suleiman said Cinema is a weapon of resistance for the Palestinians who are constantly under siege.
“Though cinema does not figure on top of their priorities, young film-makers make daring experiments and such attempts seldom go unnoticed,” he said. “The situation is fast deteriorating in Palestine and no end seems to be in sight to the ongoing strife. Lately Gaza is the target of Israel. Army men would telephone civilians and demand to vacate their houses within a jiffy and then it is endless bombing. People are compelled to run for cover and most of them are destined to remain refugees throughout their life.”
His 1996 film, “Chronicle of a Disappearance”, in which he plays the lead role, was also screened at the festival. The film explores the effect of the marginalization of the Palestinians into Apartheid-like ghettos.
“The people in Gaza wake up to helicopter bombings and massacre,” he said. “Salaries are not paid to employees, including teachers. Health and education are in chaos. Still none cares for the havoc wreaked by Israel. There is not even a whimper of protest in the United Nations. Would any other country be permitted to do this with impunity?”
He said he was touched by the solidarity expressed by the festival delegates and the public with the cause of the Palestinians.
“But globalization and its attendant problems would soon deprive you and the world of such benefits,” he said. “It is posing a threat to intellectual independence. The invasion of Hollywood films and the consumerist culture would have a debilitating influence on indigenous culture.”
Iranian director Abolfazl Jalili, Brazilian director Eryk Rocha, Argentine Santiago Loza (“Four Barefoot Women”), Russian Kamara Kamalova, Polish Hanna Polak, Canadian Pierre Gang and Chilean Patricio Guzman were among the 100-odd international film celebrities who were present.
“Usually film festivals are confined to the venue,” said Loza. “Here, I could smell the festival all around the city. It’s beautiful.”
“Great viewers, halls are full and people are always reacting,” added Kamalova.
Gautam Ghose, Girish Kasaravally, Mani Kaul and Anish S. Ahluvalia were part of the Indian bandwagon besides the who’s who of the Malayalam film industry.
“We will also conduct a series of smaller film festivals to create a better film awareness all over Kerala,” said K.R. Mohanan, chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra (Motion Picture) Academy, the government body that organized the show. “We feel that film-literate people of Kerala should get more opportunities to see good films, not just in the annual editions of the IFFK,” he added.
The focus will be on college campuses and film societies.
“As an institution functioning within certain limitations, what the academy does may not be fully enough, but our aim primarily is to create a better environment for the flourishing of a healthy film culture,” he added.
Established in 1998, this is the only academy for motion pictures in India. It is engaged in spreading film literacy.
