In 1988, Shaji N Karun’s film ‘Piravi’ bagged the prestigious Charlie Chaplin Award at Edinburgh, the Silver Leopard at Locarno, The Special Mention of Camera d’Or at Cannes and the Silver Hugo at Chicago.
The city-based Banner Film Society decided to ask this maestro to pick a few films he liked for their monthly film festival with the theme ‘My favourites’. Shaji selected four films, and all of them will be screened at Lenin Balavady, behind Tagore Theatre, on July 29.
‘’Shaji N Karun is one of the best directors in the country and one of the most respected too. He has been exposed to a huge volume of films and most of them are the best in motion pictures. His favourites would definitely turn out to be favourites for the movie buffs in the city as well,’’ said K J Siju, president of Banner Film Society.
The first film of the festival, ‘Yaaba’, to be screened at 9.30 am, is from Burkina Faso, directed by D’ldrissa Ouedraogo.
Bila (Noufou Ou’draogo) is a ten-year-old boy who makes friends with an old woman named Sana (Fatimata Sanga), who has been accused of witchcraft by her village, and has become a social outcast. Only Bila is respectful of her, and calls her “Yaaba” (Grandmother).
Ouedraogo’s beautifully controlled film that gently illustrates how the villagers’ prejudice towards the old woman reveals to the boy an adult world of folly and generosity is set in a small African village.
Shyam Benegal’s ‘Bhumika’ had Smita Patil giving a remarkable performance as Bollywood actress Usha, who is the granddaughter of a famous female singer of the old tradition from the Devadasi community of Goa. Portraying a woman who tries to live various roles, Smita’s performance in this film got her the national award.
Even while moving back and forth between time periods, there is absolutely no disconnect or irrelevant scenes. The film won two National Film Awards and Filmfare Best Movie Award. It was also invited to Carthage Film Festival 1978; the Chicago Film Festival, where it was awarded the Golden Plaque 1978; and in 1986 it was invited to Festival of Images, Algeria. Bhumika will be screened at brunch time, 11.15 am.
‘Pelle the Conquerer’, which will be screened at 2.15 pm, won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1988; Palme d’Or at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival and the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
It tells the story of two Swedish immigrants to Denmark, a father and son, who try to build a new life for themselves. It stars Pelle Hvenegaard as the young Pelle, with Max von Sydow as his father.
Based upon the famous 1910 novel by Danish writer Martin Andersen Nexo, the film is set in the end of the 19th century. A boat filled with emigrants from Sweden arrives at the Danish island of Bornholm. Among them are Lasse and his son Pelle who have moved to Denmark to find work after the death of Pelle’s mother.
The fourth film that Shaji picked was ‘The Piano’ that tells the story of a mute Scotswoman, Ada McGrath (Holly Hunter), whose father sells her into marriage to a New Zealand frontiersman, Alistair Stewart (Sam Neill). She is shipped off along with her young daughter Flora McGrath (Anna Paquin).
The voice that the audience hears is not her speaking voice, but her mind’s voice. Ada has not spoken a word since she was a child, expressing herself through her piano playing and through sign language for which her daughter served as the interpreter.
‘The Piano’ won the Academy Awards for the best actress, best supporting actress and for the screenplay. It was also selected to the Cannes. The time of screening is 5 pm.