KOCHI: Film festivals can have a profound impact on audiences. It fosters artistic growth and pushes the boundaries of cinema as a whole. Sunil Maloor is a classic example. A KSEB lineman, Sunil has been a regular at IFFK over the past two decades. His passion has now culminated in a significant milestone in his life — debut as a director at IFFK.
The Pathanamthitta resident’s film ‘Valassai Paravakal’ was presented to packed audiences on Saturday and Tuesday. An elated Sunil says he learnt the nuances of the craft via IFFK screenings in the past. “I was born and raised in a small village called Ranni and back then there were no basic facilities like electricity,” says Sunil.
“Movies shown on the school projector once a year opened me to the world of cinema. I came to know about IFFK when I left the village for work, and that was a life-changing moment for me.” Sunil’s film talks about the story of the Tamil tea plantation workers in Idukki. It explores their condition and the issues they face.
“Despite creating and maintaining the plantation, these workers are denied basic rights,” says Sunil. “I wanted to capture it for a long time because their story is not widely seen or heard.” Before embarking on the ‘Valassai Paravakal’ project, Sunil worked as an assistant director, collaborating with several directors. He has also published two books of poems.
“The IFFK experience, conversations, movies I learned there, and friendships made have shaped the filmmaker in me. All of these helped me to execute my debut attempt. I was able to complete the film because of the friendships I made there. IFFK is my film school,” Sunil said.