Film festivals on virtual platforms have fetched plenty of laurels for Malayalam filmmakers. Nithin K Raj, the cinematographer of ‘Fourth River’ directed by R K Dreamwest, won the best cinematographer award at the Canadian Cinematography Awards. The movie won best feature film. It is a monthly film competition conducted for filmmakers worldwide. The movie was released on Amazon Prime in June.
It narrates the struggle of plantation workers in Munnar in the backdrop of the Naxalite movement. “This was unexpected. The festival had movies and artists from around the world, which makes this award really special. This also encourages me to work harder,” says Nithin. The cast includes Diphul Mathew, Nithu Chandran, Baiju Bala and Rahul Krishna. According to Nithin, the shoot was challenging as the story is divided between two different timelines.
“The shoot was done in natural light. The Naxalite theme demanded underlying darkness and mystery. We chose abandoned places and dim lighting. I guess the beauty of Munnar’s landscapes and the lighting we did were major factors,” adds Nithin. Nithin debuted in the Malayalam film industry through the 2017-movie ‘Mannamkattayum Kariyilayum’. “I was working on a movie starring Sreejith Ravi when the lockdown was declared. Another Tamil movie is in post-production. I will be soon cranking the camera for a movie directed by Subhash P Thankan,” he says.