36 films to be screened on closing day of International Film Festival of Kerala

Following the ceremony, award-winning movie in the International Competition will be screened.
A section of delegates of IFFK protesting in front of Tagore theatre on Wednesday, the main venue of the film festival, seeking the urgent release of activist Rehana Fathima who was arrested and sent to remand for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. R
A section of delegates of IFFK protesting in front of Tagore theatre on Wednesday, the main venue of the film festival, seeking the urgent release of activist Rehana Fathima who was arrested and sent to remand for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. R

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 23rd edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) will draw to a close on Thursday with the screening of 36 movies.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the closing ceremony in Nishagandhi Auditorium at 6 pm. Culture Minister A K Balan will preside over the function. Agriculture Minister V S Sunil Kumar will be the chief guest. 

Following the ceremony, award-winning movie in the International Competition will be screened. The FFSI K R Mohanan Endowment for the Best Debut Director from India has been incorporated this year. The 36 movies will be screened in the 12 theatres in the city.

Central Government denied permission for ‘Muhammad’: Bina Paul  

“We couldn’t screen the film ‘Muhammad: The Messenger of God’ by Majid Majidi in the IFFK because the Central Government did not give us permission to screen it,” said Bina Paul, artistic director, IFFK. The film which was screened in various international film festivals, including the Kolkata International Film Festival, couldn’t be screened in Kerala due to censorship issues.

“The Central Government, on the film’s screening has not said a ‘No’, but not a ‘Yes’ either. It seems like a game the Centre is playing with the state, because a ‘No’, will definitely trigger a protest from Kerala,” said Bina. She was speaking at the Open Forum segment on ‘Art as a Resistance: Lessons from IFFK’. “The primary viewpoint of IFFK is inclusion, not exclusion. All the films screened in the fest put forward the same perspective. Especially, films like ‘Roma’ and ‘Pope Francis: A Man of His Word’ are of great importance, not only because of their cinematic value but also because of what they are talking about. These films talk about the greatest threats we are facing,” she added. The message of this year’s fest is ‘Together, Art and Culture Rebuild’.

“IFFK has ignited protests, paving ideal platforms for discussions in socio-cultural issues like women in public space and playing national anthem compulsorily in theatres. The fest has been an initiative to rebuild Kerala, to resist the challenges and grow together,” said Kamal, chairman, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. 

I don’t believe in marketing: Anamika Haksar

“Marketing is not tied to my film’s success. I don’t believe in it. What’s important is my own people are connecting with it,” said filmmaker Anamika Haksar. “We still have the colonial hangover. So, once we get recognition from foreign film festivals, then we are accepted in our country,” she said in the ‘Meet the Press’ segment of the IFFK. Discussing her film ‘Taking the Horse to Eat Jalebis’ which is in the Competition category of the fete, she said she documented the life of the homeless people on the streets and blended it with fiction. “This is my debut film and I got inspiration from Malayalam filmmakers like Aravindan, Adoor Gopalakrishnan and John Abraham,” she added.

No Shave November: Kamal flags off motorcycle awareness rally  

Kerala State Chalachitra Academy chairman Kamal flagged off a motorcycle awareness rally, organised by No Shave November India. The rally which started from Tagore Theatre will proceed to Kasargod and return in eight days. The ride has been structured with the aim of raising an amount of `15 lakh for the liver transplantation of a four-year-old. Raru Chempazhanthy, who initiated the No Shave November campaign in India, will lead the rally along with Shiny, a rider who is based in the city.   

Movies to be screened

Seven competition films - ‘The Silence’ (Dhanya, 09.30 AM), ‘The Dark Room’ (Dhanya, 12 pm), ‘Taking the Horse to Eat Jalebis’ (Dhanya, 03 pm), ‘The Red Phallus’ (Kairali, 09 am), ‘Poisonous Roses’ (Kairali, 11.30 am), ‘Widow of Silence’ (Kairali, 03 pm) and ‘Sudani from Nigeria’ (Kalabhavan, 03.15 pm) will be screened. Under the World Cinema Category, 17 films, including Gasper Noe’s ‘Climax’ (Tagore, 09 am), Jafar Panahi’s ‘3 Faces’ (Tagore 11.30 am), and Pooya Badkoobeh’s ‘Dressage’ (Remya 09.45 am) will be screened. ‘Amadeus’ (New Screen 2, 03 pm) and ‘The Firemen’s Ball’ (Nila, 11.45 am) will be screened under the ‘Remembering the Master: Milos Forman’ package.

‘When everybody is feeling insecure, their voices become louder’

The whole of India has started making political statements and political films because that is the need of the hour, said filmmaker Vetrimaaran. “Secularism has to be saved, and when everybody is feeling insecure, they start voicing out louder,” said Vetrimaaran. “The majority is insecure and so are the minorities. No one feels secure about their place in the country. Cinema has been a tool of political proclamation and liberation,” he added.

He was participating in the ‘In Conversation’ segment. “In popular cinema, you often see the one person who brings an end to all the issues. The filmmakers are actually working against the very cause that they started making the film with. When you say there is this one protagonist who changes the world overnight, you end up searching for this hero. Vetrimaaran cited Kurosawa as one of his biggest influences and also said Bharathan and Sibi Malayil films have had an impact on him.

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