THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Before the screening of the films at the second edition of the International Children's film festival of Kerala (ICFFK) organised by the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare, the signature film directed by AR Amal Kannan was screened, which grabbed the attention of many film enthusiasts.
The 40-second animation film is based on the theme of 'Survival and Nava Keralam' in the backdrop of the devastating floods the state witnessed last year. It created an image in the mind of the young audience how people stood together in a difficult situation and carried out the relief and rescue operations. The first shot of the film shows a person drowning and a fishing boat coming to his rescue. The film is a tribute to the fishermen who helped in the rescue operations. There is also a policeman running through a flooded bridge holding a baby and safely handing him over to his mother. The film salutes the contribution of the policemen.
Amal said, "Last year I had done a signature film which also was a big hit at the ICFFK. This year, as the main theme of ICFFK was based on Survival and Nava Keralam in the backdrop of the floods, we concentrated on the floods." Through the film, Amal has also tried to show how people recovered from the floods.
The film ends on a note which highlights the importance of togetherness through trials.
Animation and the graphics are done by Rahul Johnson. “It took us five days to complete the film. We had to plan the theme of the film and then design the characters,” said Amal. He also said as they couldn't include all the primary incidents that happened during the flood, they chose two pivotal incidents widely discussed in the media.
A film enthusiast, Amal has completed his graduation from University College, Thiruvananthapuram.