THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Back in 1998, it was none other than Left ideologue P Govinda Pillai who had taken on Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi to counter the latter’s charges against the Communists. Now, on his return to the state after two decades, political Kerala is all ears to know whether there’s any change in his previously reiterated stance.
December 13, the penultimate day of the 28th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), is most keenly awaited by not just film buffs, but by the state’s entire political spectrum. Zanussi, known for his opposition towards communist ideology, is scheduled to be at the IFFK to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. On Thursday, he is to attend an in-conversation session at the festival. This time around, senior politicians, including Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan and CMP general secretary C P John, are also expected to attend an unofficial interaction with the legendary filmmaker.
A quarter of a century ago, on his visit to IFFK, the festival had witnessed a standoff between Zanussi and P Govinda Pillai. Speaking at the festival, Zanussi opined that Communism does not exist anywhere in the world. He even likened Communist ideals to Hitler’s principles. Going a step further, the Polish filmmaker had even stated that Communist regimes had killed more people than Hitler.
Though the State Chalachithra Academy’s decision to award Zanussi came under flak from some corners, it did not hinder it from sticking to its original choice. Speaking to TNIE recently, academy chairman Ranjith even hinted about inviting leaders like V D Satheesan and C P John for an interaction with the filmmaker. “Last time during the Nayanar government’s period when Zanussi visited IFFK, he had criticised the Left. Today, the same party is in power. Let’s see if he still maintains the same political position,” Ranjith said.
Speaking to TNIE, Satheesan said he would try his level best to attend the session with Zanussi. “I would definitely like to meet him. It’s not just about politics. He’s such a well-known filmmaker. Meeting and interacting with him is something that I am looking forward to,” Satheesan said.