KOCHI: Shemin Balachandran Nair’s Tide of Lies can probably be called a music-induced film which plays into the heart of the audience. The music featurette directed by Nobel Peter is leitmotif driven, which means the spectators are elevated to a different experience while watching their characters on screen.
In the film, the background score and music are character-based, according to Nobel. “We have six characters who play pivotal roles in the movie. Each character is associated with certain music. This is a unique feature associated with English movies like Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings. The best part of such a leitmotif is that it lends an online screen presence even when the characters are off-screen. Indian movies have hardly trudged this part which is why we decided to move ahead with the project,” says Nobel Peter, who is a student of PhD in ‘Music in Hollywood films- a study based in leitmotif’, from the Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam.
Nobel, who has worked in several independent short films and albums as music composer and director says it was their common interest in the field that brought him and Shemin together.“Shemin is a PhD student who is pursuing ‘Indian Transcendentalism in Cinema’ from the UK. We decided to research a lot on the topic together and bring out a feature film based on it,” said Nobel.The duo has travelled to various places for the feature film and especially explored the ancient art forms such as Pottan Theyyam, a ritualistic dance which is part of the cultural heritage of Kolathunadu in Kannur.
In Shemin Balachandran Nair’s Tide of Lies, Priya Burns as Maria Bourney plays the role of a brown girl adopted by white parents. The upbringing has left her confused about her identity. Similarly, there is an illegal maid who is always the epitome of sacrifice. Such characters have been elevated through the leitmotif music.
Music composer Bijibal launched the soundtrack of the feature film. The album has 11 soundtracks and is available for the public in various online platforms. The film was shot both in UK and India and has already completed festival entries. C Balachandran Nair produced the feature film.