KOCHI: In the wilderness of southern Kerala, the natives are witnesses to a strange phenomenon. Their animals begin exhibiting strange mannerisms and their flora secretes a unique substance. Nelson, an environmentalist and the titular protagonist of the short film, investigates the bizarre occurrences in the forest. What follows is government apathy and the exploitative nature of man, only to have nature lashing out at him.
The 33-minute ‘Nelson’ is a visual treat. Directed by Vicky Valsan and Cipin Valsan, it was shot in the forests of Nilambur by cinematographer Praseed M Varma. Considering Vicky’s first tryst with movies, ‘Nelson’, which released last week, has opened to rave reviews. “This movie is an outcome of our passion for cinema. We were friends from college. Cipin is an artist and has previously worked as an assistant director in a few Malayalam movies. Praseed is establishing himself as a mainstream cinematographer and has worked on various movies and films as an assistant. ‘Nelson’ is the first venture we took up to launch ourselves into mainstream cinema,” says the Thrissur native, Vicky, who currently resides in Canada.
Why the ecologically-sensitive issue? “I’ve been following the topic of climate change for long. Greta Thunberg has been my greatest inspiration in this regard. Ever since the floods in 2018, Keralites have understood the significant impact of the climate crisis on our lives. This led me to think about this story which can directly appeal to this emotion towards such catastrophes and thereby spread awareness,” says Vicky.
Ironically, the film’s shooting was halted due to the floods in 2019. “We completed the process three days after the floods. Our plan was to shoot the heavy rains in the lush, green forest. But had to change the location owing to mudslides in the region. Other than that, we had a wonderful experience shooting in Nilambur forests and had immense support from the Forest Department and the locals,” he explains. He adds that the hurdles they faced due to the floods during the shoot propelled them to strive harder and gave the whole crew a focused mission to bring out the message of environmental protection.
‘Nelson’ took a year to complete. Produced by a group of friends, collectively known as ‘The Horde Pictures’, the crew was committed to delivering a remarkable cinematic experience to the viewers. According to Vicky, ‘Nelson’ demands attention. “The story portrays the need for humans to join in harmony with nature and keenly listen to their inner voices. We have tried our best to transfer the idea with visual and auditory experience,” he adds. ‘Nelson’ is now available on YouTube.