IFFK 2015 Official Daily Bulletin - Day 7

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s the 20th edition of IFFK is in its pinnacle with the whole capital city of the state transforming itself into a capital of the World Cinema during the bygone days, IFFK is definitely marching towards another chapter of creative achievement. It is heading towards an incomparably successful conclusion on the diverse cultural and organisational aspects of the festival. More than 180 films under 14 packages, around 120 top brass guests from global film scenario, above 12,000 registered delegates, a dozen thickly packed theatres, film buffs eagerly queuing up for un-booked shows, students and youths thronging on to discuss and debate filmic topics, the intervals properly punctuated by seminars, symposia, workshops and similar academic endeavours, evenings lighted up by different cultural and folk items, less number of complaints regarding any aspect of the conduct of the fest... altogether testifies to a stunning success of this mega event.

Sri Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Hon. Minister for Cinema, the prime force behind the success, reviews: “The organising committee under Shaji N Karun is the key factor behind the success of this edition. No compromise was entertained in the choice and quality of the World Cinema. larger number of delegates was accommodated this year. In order to hike the accommodation capacity, theatres like Tagore and Nishagandhi were converted into full-time theatres. This IFFK set in novelty and rigour to the conduct of the fest. To sum up, this edition is out and out a grand success.”

“The major achievement of the 20th edition of IFFK is in providing the

opportunity for the delegates to choose the films suiting their taste and watch them in a crowd-free atmosphere. IFFK is a haven of different art forms. The prominence of IFFK is increasing annually after each edition, which, in turn, will help us to intensify tie-ups with organisations like UNESCO and other premium film festivals. As IFFK has already become a favourite haunt of film makers, we have fifty one premieres this year. By 2020, IFFK will open up as the gateway of world cinema by screening the world premiers,” says Shaji N Karun, Chairman of Film Festival Advisory Committee.

“The 20th edition of IFFK has been blessed with the best films from around the globe. This was duly enhanced by the added and improved venues arranged for the film screening with outstanding screening facility. The state-of-art screening quality, self-regulated and disciplined delegates, perfectly helped in making 20th edition of IFFK a huge success”, observes Rajeev Nath, Chairman of Chalachithra Academy & Festival Director IFFK 2015.

“20th IFFK would be considered as a basic parameter to assess the upcoming editions of the festival. The introduction of the new reservation system, software and crowd-management techniques were largely successful, and these will improve its functioning qualitatively in the next editions of the fest. Under the leadership of Shaji N Karun, 20th edition took a new direction in its organisation and performance.

All the departments concertedly functioned together for the betterment of the festival.

The 25th edition of IFFK has to be a mega event as it is the jubilee year of the festival”, says S Rajendran Nair, Secretary, KSCA & Executive Director, IFFK. mammed montage |

Down the memory lane IFFK Souvenir

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erala has a vibrant legacy of folk, art, cinema and theatre.

Producing exceptional works annually, Malayalam film industry is one of the integral parts of the biggest national film industry in the world. The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy was formed with the objective of promoting cinema, by inculcating a penchant towards world cinema creating platforms for interaction with the different cinematic genres and streams. IFFK was initiated as an attempt in this direction.

In the 20th edition of IFFK 2015, KSCA brings out a Souvenir to commemorate this rich culture. “This souvenir that looks into the past 19 years of IFFK, is a humble attempt to compile the memories and images of celebration, and to provide the cineastes glimpses into some of the most memorable moments from the past”, says Souvenir’s Executive Editor CS Venkiteswaran.

From the humble beginning of IFFK at Kozhikode in 1994, through its formative years to its present venue in Thiruvananthapuram, the souvenir captures the individual narrative and spirit from all its previous editions of the mega event. The growth of IFFK in becoming one of the prestigious film festivals in the world with a massive audience participation, the souvenir lays out in detail all the landmark events from its two decades.

The book is divided into twenty sections, with each section providing all the details of previous festivals. Each section starts with the official logo and theme design of that year and includes details about film-makers who marked their presence, notable films of the year and the work that

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high-profile panel comprising cinema icons and litterateurs reiterated both the indivisibility of cinema’s relationship with literature and the primacy of a film’s narrative. The august assemblage at Mascot Hotel featured master filmmakers Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Lenin Rajendran, veteran actor Madhu as well as officials from the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, including president Perumpadavam Sreedharan, vice-president Akbar Kakkattil and secretary R. Gopalakrishnan. “The Golden Age of Malayalam cinema was when our literary classics, such as the works of Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai and Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, were adapted to the big screen,” Adoor said, adding that the education traditionally neglected cinema while embracing literature.

went behind organising each edition. The grainy photographs accompanying the text capture the transformation that the festival has undergone till date.

The book also includes particulars of celebrated luminaries who were bestowed Life Time Achievement Award (LTA) and also invited for the prestigious G. Aravindan Memorial Lecture. Messages of former Chairmen of KSCA - starting from P Govind Pillai, when the fest was just an infant, to the previous chairman Priyadarshan - found a special place in this book of memories. Cherished memories about IFFK from cinema moguls like Derek Malcolm, Amrit Gangar, Vidyarthi Chatterjee and so on, makes the book to be a treasured gem. “The calibre of film professionals and film masters who attend IFFK are exceptional. Where else can you meet a Werner Herzog, an Agnes Varda or a Paul Cox, and interact with them at close quarters”, says Uma da Cunha, film critic and editor of FilmIndia Worldwide, who has been attending IFFK since its inception.

The souvenir would serve as a useful reference guide for regular festival goers, some of whom might have lost their past festival booklets. And for newcomers, it is a documentation of the rich legacy of IFFK that they are a part of now. The two decade long journey has never been tranquil, but with the resolute effort of many, the crow-pheasant (Chakoram) will fly above every obstacles it encounters.

Bulletin Team |

Seminar

On Cinema And Literature

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From Afar:

Venice Lion

Roars Low Pradip Biswas |

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his is for the first time a Venezuelan director went on to win the Golden Lion this year for his film FROM AFAR. It is good to delight oneself for the success at Venice but equally becomes a cause celebre.

The film is directed by Lorenzo Vigas, a filmmaker who could only dabble in very minor films so far, cutting no corners.

The film FROM AFAR begins on a bizarre note, highlighting how a plutocrat and an upmarket guy, a denture specialist, falls for a street urchin due to his instinctive nature.

Leber, the underdog, is tucked into Alando’s posh room to strip himself.

Leber at first could not tumble to what the guy intended to do.

Shaken camera displays the dude’s masturbation without touching Leber. This is surprise of surprises of all.

Lorenzo Vigas, we are left flabbergasted by his act, dares show the subject of “pediophilia” in the texture of his film that has no strong point of conviction. The matter is prolonged by Alando for his sadistic fulfilment!!! In the process huge

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sum of money is being doled out to street urchins regularly. Why he does so is not plausibly interpreted.

Thus frames after frames carry almost ribbon of images, set in his posh bed room, and occasionally on dirty lanes, precluding sensitive premise of reasoning.

What strikes us most is the claustrophobic making of the film that gads you to be angry and cold.

Venezuela is a country surviving under USA’s sanctions, high debt burden, soaring inflation, agrarian poverty, lack of health care and social exploitation. Its erstwhile president Chavez, dead now, tried his best to press into service social welfare. Venezuela is still doddering under economic depression and cannot afford any filmmaker to indulge in notorious subject of pedophilia, as shown by Vigas.

That a plutocrat is basically a villain could be experienced when Alando clandestinely called police and got the urchins arrested. The film is too frail in its ontological exploration and delivers a cipher at the end.

Tireless Jounrney Of

Touring Talkies

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rom the beginning itself, cinema had a distinct niche in the mind of every Keralites, may be due to its resemblance to some of the folk visual art forms here. The origin and impact of film societies that paved the development of film as art in Kerala is very immense. Consequently, this triggered the beginning of film festivals and the formation of Chalachitra Academy in Kerala.

For sharing the perceptual experience of some of films and the festival all over the state, the Chalachitra Academy inaugurated something innovative- ‘Touring Talkies’. From the 8th edition of the IFFK, Touring Talkies started its tireless journey. Selected films are screened in every part of the state, mainly in the film societies and arranged venues for the promotion of classic films; slowly transforming Touring Talkies into a sort of moving film festival. “As a part of the celebration of 20 years of International Film Festival of Kerala, the Touring Talkies screened 16 films that won Suvarna Chakoram in past 19 years,” says Shiji Nath, the coordinator of Touring Talkies.

The concept of the touring talkies was evolved

by Shaji N Karun, chairman of Festival Advisory Committee. He remarked that the Touring Talkies became a pre-visual experience to all on the behalf of the film festivals. With the support of Kerala Union of working journalists (KUWJ) and Kesari Smaraka Trust the Touring Talkies was organized quite meticulously in all the districts of Kerala. This year, the Touring Talkies started on November 14 in Kasargod and concluded in Parashala on December 2. The touring talkies consist of three core committee members Venukuttan Nair, Abhilash and G R Shiji. The press clubs in the 14 districts played the venue for screening the films.

10th December 2015

In Conversation With “ I don’t want to sacrifice art for survival. I can’t make movies unless it comes from my heart”, says Iranian filmmaker Dariush Mehrjui. ” The individuality of a person is my main concern; and I always think about how to describe the meaning of individuality and identity in a construct that is governed by the collective values of its history. I always question ‘who am I?’ and how far are my personal experiences entangled with the culture, the morality and the language of the society in which I live. This is why the characters of my films are unique and not a typical and accessible representative of a group or class”, he added. His films often portray an individual in a crisis, highlighting notions of love, death, life, struggle and triumph. His career suffered more setbacks during the cultural reforms following the Islamic revolutions. To him the source of a story is irrelevant and the screenplay is more important.

He differs with the directors that migrated from Iran. Their lack of knowledge about the world is the primary reason

CS Venkiteswaran |

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n the 1970s when what was described as ‘parallel’ , ‘offbeat’ or ‘art’ cinema was making waves across the country, critics, especially film society activists coined the term ‘art cinema’ to distinguish the independent films that defied the rules of commercial film industry, and attempted to create a new, subversive visual idiom. In the process, they did away with a lot of ingredients that were essential for the commercial masala formula, like song, dance, buffoonery, stunts, melodrama etc. The films of the period, like the ones made

by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Aravindan, KRMohanan, Mani Kaul, Kumar Shahni, AK Kaul etc created a visual language that, on the one, totally rejected the commercial formats, and on the other, engaged with both European new wave and also Indian story telling, visualizing and performative traditions. But since the 1990s, when the era of globalization started and everything was opened up for the market, the hitherto demarcating lines that divided art from commercial got erased or thinned down. In the flood

for their migration. All his films have been a reaction to the preceding one. The most suffering section of the Iranian society is the women. Four of his movies are based on these women.

Censor board has made a lot of issues on all the movies that portray woman and her social status. “ I am optimistic on the note that history will have certain break downs and this savagery is not going to last, and as a result new cinemas are going to come”, he concluded hopefully.

Suresh Chabriya, the renowned film scholar,led the session.

Reclaim Art Cinema of visual narratives, the alterity of the so-called art cinemas also gradually lost their stubborn edge and experimental spirit. Film criticism, no longer confined to cineastes frequenting film societies, was reborn as an academic activity. The decisive blow came from the rise of a discipline called ‘cultural studies’ that gave more centrality to the popular and mainstream culture. If one scans through the books and articles that are churned out on Indian cinemas by the academy and its prestigious journals today, one can see that commercial-mainstream has an overwhelming presence there.

In turn, this withdrawal of discursive and critical support for alternative, independent films and filmmakers, has left them in the lurch; and the state had already left everything to market forces to decide.

In this context, there is a need to rediscover and reassert the term or category ‘art cinema’. We, in India, do not have art house cinema halls that are dedicated to such films, and so these films too have to engage in an unequal competition with the commercial films that pander to popular tastes. Even

critics seem to have settled upon the redundancy of the term ‘art’ cinema. In this context, I think we need to reclaim and reassert art cinema as a discursive as well as industrial category, to claim some space in the public entertainment and critical sphere. Then the question arises: Is there something called 'art' cinema? I would say, YES. Simply put, they are films that grow with us in life. It is not the Pather Panchali or Ajantrik that you saw when you were in your 20’s that you are watching now. These works of art have grown with us in their complex and subtle nuances, and you endlessly discover them every time you watch. In contrast, the commercial cinemas, even when they enthrall, thrill and entertain us while you watch them, die as soon as we leave the theatre. There is nothing in them to go back to, or explore further.

So let us celebrate art cinema and assert its right to space and attention. Let not the clamor and glitz of the commercial, lull us into the immediate present and to the inanity of life. venkitycs@gmail.com

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Directors On Alternative Film Funding

Theyyam perfomance by Nandakumar Karivelloor organised by Kerala Folklore Academy

OPEN FORUM

A special concluding session..

Experience and expectations: interaction with the youth born in or after 1994.

Time: 5 PM | Tagore Premises

EVENTS TODAY

PRESS MEET

12PM | Tagore Premises

It was a coming together of the old and the new as M S Sathyu and Sanalkumar Sasidharan spoke about passion for cinema and funding at the ‘Meet the Director’ programme held at Tagore theatre. While Sathyu received Film Finance Corporation—now National Film Development Corporation (NFDC)—funding for his debut film Garam Hawa (1973), he felt that it was unfortunate that the corporation now does not fund films, unless it has a good chance of making a profit.

“This is a wrong policy, because the idea is to develop an industry,” said the 85-year-old director. “We need to create a corpus fund that can be used by upcoming filmmakers.”

Sanalkumar never let money thwart his deep desire to make films and take it to people. “I don’t believe in government subsidies and I don’t believe in the market,” said the director, whose Ozhuvidivasathe Kali is showing at the festival. “I don’t know what the crisis in Malayalam filmmaking that everybody talks of is about. In the new age of digital filmmaking, you can make films with the smallest budget.”

“A new crop of filmmakers are shattering the notion that you need an actor or a story acceptable to satellite to make films,” said producer Prakash Bare. “There is the space and audience for small, meaningful films. Mainstream films should not be imposed on everybody.”

Ajay Saga

MEET THE DIRECTOR 3 PM | Tagore Premises

Jugalbandi

6.30 PM | Bharath Bhavan

Keralanadanam

Guru Gopinath Nadana Kendram 7.30 PM | Bharath Bhavan

Street Magic

By Shamsudheen Cherpulassery Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy 7 PM | Tagore Premises

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10th December 2015

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I\-‑y‑m-I‑p-a‑mc‑n a‑pX I‑mkÀt‑K‑mU‑v hs‑c \‑qt‑d‑mf‑w k‑n\‑na {‑]ZÀi-\ §Ä "k‑n\‑n-am-hï‑' \S-¯‑n-.

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c‑n-Ø‑n-X‑ns‑b Hf‑nª‑p‑w s‑Xf‑nª‑p‑w h‑naÀi‑n-¡‑p-t‑¼‑mg‑p‑w If‑n-b‑n-e‑qs‑S I‑mc-‑y§Ä t‑{‑]£-I-\‑n-t‑e¡‑v F¯‑n-¡‑p-Ib‑m-b‑n-c‑p-¶‑p C‑u k‑n\‑n-a-b‑n-e‑qs‑S. ]‑qÀ®-a‑mb‑p‑w Fg‑p-X-s‑¸« X‑nc-¡-Yb‑n-Ã‑ms‑X N‑n{‑X‑o-I-c‑n¨ k‑n\‑n-a-b‑ps‑S h‑nPb‑w IY‑m-]‑m-{‑X-§-f‑ps‑S Bga‑pÄs‑¡‑mï‑v X·-b-¯-t‑¯‑ms‑S Ah s‑s‑II‑m-c‑y‑w s‑Nb‑vX A`‑n-t‑\-X‑m-¡Ä BW‑v. A`‑n-t‑\-X‑m-¡f‑n ]ec‑p‑w I‑y‑m-a-d¡‑p a‑p¶‑n ]‑pX‑p-a‑p-J-§-f‑ms‑W-¦‑ne‑p‑w k‑wh‑n-[‑m-bIs‑â I‑mg‑vN¸‑m-S‑n-\-\‑p-k-c‑n¨‑v IY‑m-]‑m-{‑X-§s‑f {‑] X‑n-^-e‑n-¸‑n-¡‑m³ AhÀ¡‑v Ig‑n-ª‑p. k‑w`‑m-j-W-§-f‑ps‑S NS‑p-e-X-t‑b-¡‑mÄ Ah-b‑p-ï‑m-¡‑p¶ [‑z-\‑n-¡-\‑p-k‑r-Xa‑mb‑n BW‑v AÀ°‑w h‑y‑m-J-‑y‑m-\‑n-¡s‑¸-S‑p-¶-X‑v. k‑n\‑n-a-b‑ps‑S k‑z‑m-`‑m-h‑n-

apdn-¨p-am-ä-s¸-« Im-ew tNÀ-¯p-sh¡pw t]mse k-a‑m-´-c k‑n-\‑n-a‑m {‑]-Ø‑m-\-§Ä-¡‑v X‑pS-¡‑w I‑p-d‑n-¨ "H-t‑U-k'b‑n \‑n-¶‑p‑w {‑]-t‑N‑m-Z-\-a‑pÄ-s‑¡‑m-ï‑m-W‑v k-\ I‑mg‑v-N N-e-¨‑n-{‑X t‑hZ‑n¡‑v P·‑w \ ÂI‑n-b-X‑v. k‑n\‑na‑m {‑]ZÀi\i‑meIÄ k‑ma‑m-\-‑y-P-\-§Ä¡‑v A{‑]‑m-]-‑ya‑mb‑n \‑n¡‑pt‑¼‑mÄ P\-§-f‑n-t‑e¡‑v k‑n\‑na F¯‑p-¶-X‑ns‑â `‑mKa‑mb‑n "k‑n\‑n-a‑m-h-ï‑n' F¶ k‑wc‑w-`-h‑p-a‑mb‑n k\ t‑Ic-f-¯‑n-\-I¯‑p‑w ]‑pd¯‑p‑w k©-c‑n¨‑p. k‑n\‑na‑m h‑nX-c-W-¯‑ns‑â P\‑m-[‑n-]X‑y-hÂI-c-W-¯‑n\‑v B¡‑w

f‑n Xs‑¶-b‑m-W‑v.'' k\ÂI‑pa‑mÀ ] d-b‑p-¶‑p.

BÀ. D®‑n-b‑ps‑S s‑Nd‑pI-Ys‑b k‑n\‑n-a‑m-b‑m-¡‑m³ X‑oc‑p-a‑m-\‑n-¡‑pt‑¼‑mÄ AX‑ns‑â IY-t‑b-¡‑m-Ä Gs‑d BIÀj‑n-¨X‑v "Hg-n-h‑p-Z‑n-h-ks‑¯ If‑n' F¶ i‑oÀj-I-a‑mW‑v F¶‑v k‑wh‑n-[‑m-b-I³ ]d-b‑p¶‑p. P\‑m-[‑n-]X-‑y-k-a‑q-l-¯‑n P\-§-f‑ps‑S h‑n[‑n \‑nÀW-b‑n-¡‑p-¶X‑v X‑nc-s‑ª-S‑p-¸‑ns‑â Hg‑n-h‑p-Z‑n-h-ks‑¯ s‑Nb‑vX‑n-I-f‑m-W‑v. t‑Ic-f-¯‑ns‑e c‑mj‑v{‑S‑ob k‑ma‑q-l‑nI ]

IX t‑N‑mÀ¶‑p-t‑]‑m-I‑m-X‑n-c‑n-¡‑m-\‑mW‑v k‑w`‑m-j-W-§Ä a‑nX-X‑z‑w ]‑me‑n-¨-X‑v.

DÅ-S¡‑w s‑I‑mï‑p‑w BJ-‑y‑m\-c‑oX‑n s‑I‑mï‑p‑w h‑y-X-‑y-k‑vX-X-IÄ a‑pt‑¶‑m«‑p s‑h¡‑p-t‑¼‑mÄ Xs‑¶ k‑n\‑na \nÀ-½m-W-¯nepw hn-X-c-W-¯nepw ]‑pX‑nb a‑mX‑r-I-IÄ k‑rj‑vS‑n-¡‑p-¶‑pï‑v k\ÂI‑p-a‑mÀ ii‑n-[-c³. X‑oÀ¨-b‑mb‑p‑w P\-I‑ob k‑n\‑n-a- I‑q«‑m-b‑va-I-f‑ps‑S X‑pSÀ¨-IÄ Ch‑n-s‑S-b‑p-ï‑mI‑p‑w F¶ {‑]X‑o£ h‑oï‑p‑w Dd-¸‑n-¡-s‑¸-S‑p-¶‑p.

IoÀ-¯-\ a®bw |

Festival Director T Rajeevnath, Chaiman KSCA Chief Editor S Rajendran Nair, Secretary KSCA Editorial Board Chairman J Ajith Kumar Convenor Renji Kuriakose Coordinator Jayanthi Narendranath Members Alex Vallikunnam, CP Sree Harshan, Beena Khalam, Sajeev, Anand Executive Editor Sadeesh Chalippadam Associate Editor Mammed Montage Assistant Editor TM Hisham Sub Editor Haris Nenmeni Reporters Amala T Chacko, Jayasree C, Keerthana Mannayam Stills Ajay Saga, Shijin V K Design & Layout Shabeer M P Layout Assistant Saeed Fasal Printing Akshara Offset, Thiruvananthapuram Editorial Support Haris Kormath Printed & published by S Rajendran Nair, Secretary, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, Thiruvananthapuram on behalf of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Govt of Kerala.

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k‑n\‑nab‑ps‑S \hXc‑wK‑w

t‑e‑m

I k‑n\‑na‑m Nc‑n{‑X¯‑n 1959 hg‑n¯‑nc‑nh‑ns‑â hÀja‑mW‑v. {‑^©‑v \hXc‑wK‑w Bc‑w`‑n¡‑p¶X‑v B hÀja‑mW‑v. {‑X‑qt‑^‑m‑, s‑K‑mZ‑mÀZ‑v, Ae³ s‑ds‑\ X‑pS§‑nb Ne¨‑n{‑X {‑]X‑n`IÄ‑, I‑mg‑vNb‑ne‑p‑w Bh‑nj‑vI‑mc¯‑ne‑p‑w BJ‑y‑m\¯‑ne‑p‑w {‑]t‑ab¯‑ne‑p‑w I‑pgad‑n¨‑ne‑p‑w I‑pX‑n¨‑p N‑m«h‑p‑w k‑rj‑vS‑n¨‑p \ hXc‑wK k‑n\‑naIfnÂ. t‑e‑mI k‑n\‑nab‑ps‑S Ad‑p]X‑pIs‑f c‑mj‑v{‑S‑oba‑mb‑p‑w e‑mhW‑y]ca‑mb‑p‑w \‑nÀWb‑n¨X‑p‑w \b‑n¨X‑p‑w {‑^©‑v \hXc‑wKa‑mW‑v. A¼X‑pIf‑ps‑S a[‑y¯‑n Xs‑¶b‑mW‑v C´‑y³ k‑n\‑nab‑ps‑S k‑uµc‑y¡‑q«‑pIf‑p‑w a‑md‑nad‑nb‑p¶X‑v. 1955 kX‑yP‑nX‑v t‑db‑ps‑S ] t‑YÀ ]‑m©‑me‑n hc‑p¶‑p. A]c‑mP‑nt‑X‑m(1956‑)‑, A]‑qÀ k³k‑mÀ(1959‑) F¶‑o N‑n{‑X§Ä t‑NÀ¶‑v d‑mb‑ns‑S A]‑p{‑Xb‑w C´‑y³ Ie‑m k‑n\‑nab‑ps‑S \t‑h‑m°‑m\s‑¯ Nc‑n{‑X¯‑n ASb‑mfs‑¸S‑p¯‑n. 1958 EX‑z‑nI‑v L«¡‑ns‑â AP‑m{‑´‑nI‑v ]‑pd¯‑ph¶‑p. A§s‑\ A¼X‑pIÄ C´‑y³ k‑n\‑nab‑ne‑p‑w a‑mä¯‑ns‑â I‑mea‑mb‑nc‑p¶‑p. 1951 ]‑pd¯‑p-h¶ P‑oh‑nX\‑uI t‑\S‑nb {‑]ZÀi\h‑nPb¯‑n\‑p-t‑ija‑mW‑v Hc‑p h‑yhk‑mb‑w F¶ \‑neb‑n aeb‑mf k‑n\‑na AX‑ns‑â AØ‑nX‑z‑w Ø‑m]‑n¡‑p¶‑v.

At‑¶‑mf‑w ]‑pd-¯‑p-h-¶‑n-c‑p¶ A\‑y-`‑m-j‑m-N‑n-{‑X-§-f‑ps‑S A\‑p-I-cW-§f‑nÂ\‑n¶‑p‑w hg‑n-a‑m-d‑n- t‑Ic-f-¯‑ns‑â k‑ma‑q-l‑nI P‑oh‑nXN‑n{‑X§Ä ae-b‑mfk‑n\‑n-a-b‑n kP‑o-h-a‑m-I‑p-¶X‑v P‑oh‑nX\‑uI a‑pXe‑mW‑v.

A

FÃ‑mh-c‑p-t‑Sb‑p‑w Hc-½s‑b¡‑p-d‑n¨‑v

¶ a‑pb‑n-t‑eÀ«‑ns‑â Z s‑k¡â‑v aZÀ‑ F¶ k‑n\‑nab‑ns‑e h‑m F¶ IY‑m-]‑m-{‑Xs‑¯ Ah-X-c‑n-¸‑n¨ s‑dP‑n-\ t‑Ib‑vs‑k A]‑m-c-a‑mb {‑]I-S\ a‑nI-h‑n-e‑qs‑S t‑{‑]£-I-c‑ps‑S l‑rZb‑w Pb‑n-¨‑n-c‑n-¡‑p¶‑p. Nn{X¯n s‑dP‑n-\ t‑Ib‑vs‑k Ah-X-c‑n-¸‑n¨ h‑o«‑p-t‑h-e¡‑m-c‑n-b‑ps‑S t‑hj-¯‑nsâ \‑ng-e‑n-e‑mb‑n t‑]‑mI‑p¶‑p aä‑p ]‑m{‑X-§-f-{‑Xb‑p‑w. h‑o«‑p-t‑h-e-¡‑m-c‑n-b‑mb h‑me‑ns‑â {‑] [‑m\ t‑P‑me‑n-I-f‑n-s‑e‑m¶‑v aI-f‑ps‑S {‑]‑mb-a‑pÅ ^‑m_‑n-t‑\‑ms‑b t‑\‑m¡‑n hfÀ-¯‑pI F¶-X‑m-b‑n-c‑p-¶‑p. ^‑m_‑nt‑\‑m FÃ‑m AÀ°-¯‑ne‑p‑w h‑me‑ns‑â aI-\‑mb‑n Xs‑¶-b‑mW‑v hf-c‑p-¶-X‑v. I‑pf‑n-¸‑n¨‑p‑w `£W‑w I‑m¯‑p-s‑h¨‑p \ÂI‑nb‑p‑w Xt‑e‑mS‑n Dd-¡‑nb‑p‑w A½ `‑mh-§f{‑Xb‑p‑w A\‑p-`-h‑n-¸‑n-¡‑p¶‑p s‑dP‑n-\ t‑Ib‑vs‑k. ^‑m_‑n-t‑\‑m‑, h‑me‑ns‑â a‑mU‑w t‑U‑m_‑mÀ_d F´‑n\‑v apXnÀ-¶ AwKw

7

sI.]n. PbIpamÀ | aeb‑mf k‑n\‑nab‑ps‑S \h Xc‑wK‑w Bc‑w`‑n¡‑p¶X‑v Fg‑p] X‑pIf‑ps‑S X‑pS¡¯‑ne‑mW‑v. AS‑qÀ t‑K‑m]‑meI‑rj‑vWs‑â k‑zb‑whca‑mW‑v AX‑n\‑v X‑pS¡‑w I‑pd‑n¨ N‑n{‑X‑w. \h-X-c‑wK k‑n\‑n-a-IÄ F¶‑p-h‑n-f‑n-¡-s‑¸« B I‑me-L-«-¯‑ns‑e k‑n\‑na-IÄ ]c‑n-t‑i‑m-[‑n-¨‑m c‑q]-]-c-a‑mb \‑nc-h[‑n k‑mZ‑r-i‑y-§Ä I‑mW‑m‑w. c‑q]-s‑¯-¡‑p-d‑n-¨‑pÅ AX‑n-{‑i-²‑, ]‑m«‑p-I-f‑p-s‑Sb‑p‑w l‑mk‑y c‑wK-§-f‑p-s‑Sb‑p‑w A`‑mh‑w‑, aµh‑p‑w ]e-t‑¸‑mg‑p‑w \‑nÝe-h‑p-a‑mb BJ‑y‑m-\‑w... -F-¶‑n-§s‑\ BJ‑y‑m-\-¯‑ne‑p‑w {‑] t‑a-b-¯‑ne‑p‑w Ah-s‑bÃ‑m‑w Ht‑c `‑mh‑p-IX‑z‑w ]¦‑n-«‑p. AX‑v a[‑y-hÀ¤ P‑oh‑n-X-¯‑ns‑â A\‑p`-h-a-Þ-e-a‑mW‑v. Ah-b‑ps‑S t‑e‑mI h‑o£W‑w Hc‑p a[‑y-hÀ¤ _‑p²‑n-P‑o-h‑n-b‑p-s‑Sb‑p‑w‑, {‑]t‑a-b§Ä B hÀ¤ P‑oh‑n-X-¯‑ns‑â Bi-¦-If‑n \‑n¶‑p‑w K‑rl‑m-X‑p-c-X‑z-¯‑n \‑n¶‑p‑w \‑nc‑m-i-If‑n \‑n¶‑p‑w c‑q]-s‑¸-«-h-b‑p-a‑m-b‑n-c‑p-¶‑p. \‑nÀa‑me‑y‑w (F‑w S‑n h‑mk‑p-t‑Z-h³ \‑mbÀ‑)‑, s‑I‑mS‑n-t‑bä‑w (AS‑qÀ t‑K‑m]‑m-e-I‑r-j‑vW³‑)‑, X¼‑v (Ac-h‑n-µ³‑) X‑pS-§‑nb N‑n{‑X-§f‑n {‑K‑ma P‑oh‑n-X-¯‑ns‑â \‑nÝ-eXb‑mW‑v BhÀ¯‑n-¡-s‑¸-S‑p¶X‑v. k‑zb‑w-h-c‑w (AS‑qÀ‑)‑, Ai‑z-°‑m-a‑mh‑v (s‑I BÀ t‑a‑ml-\³‑)‑, {‑]b‑m-W‑w (`c-X³‑)‑, D¯-c‑m-b\‑w (Ac-h‑n-µ³‑) X‑pS-§‑nb N‑n{‑X§f‑ps‑S {‑]t‑a-b- t‑I{‑µ‑w A`‑yØ-h‑n-Z‑y-c‑mb a[‑y-hÀ¤ \‑mb-I³a‑m-c‑ps‑S P‑oh‑nX ]c‑n-k-ch‑p‑w Bß k‑wLÀj-§-f‑p-a‑mb‑n-c‑p¶‑p. Z‑mÀi-\‑n-I-t‑a‑m‑, Bß‑obt‑a‑m a‑m\-k‑n-It‑a‑m Bb‑n-c‑p¶‑p Ah-c‑ps‑S t‑hh-e‑m-X‑n-IÄ.

t‑U‑m. I‑mÀt‑e‑mk‑v Ch-c‑p-a‑m-s‑b-Ã‑m-a‑pÅ h‑me‑ns‑â _Ô-¯‑ne‑p‑w Z‑o]‑vX-a‑mb‑n \‑n¡‑p-¶X‑v a‑mX‑r-`‑mh‑w Xs‑¶-b‑mW‑v. 13 hÀj-¯‑n\‑p t‑ij‑w aIs‑f I‑mW‑p¶ t‑hf-b‑ns‑e h‑me‑ns‑â h‑nI‑mc h‑nt‑£‑m-`-§f‑p‑w k‑vt‑\lak‑r-W-Xb‑p‑w s‑dP‑n-\ t‑Ib‑vs‑kb‑ps‑S s‑s‑I¿-S-¡ ¯‑ns‑â DÖ‑ze k‑m£‑y-§-f‑mW‑v. t‑he-¡‑mc‑n F¶ \‑ne-b‑n-e‑pÅ AIeh‑p‑w _l‑p-a‑m-\h‑p‑w Ft‑¸‑mg‑p‑w \‑ne \‑nÀ¯‑p¶ h‑m ]t‑£ s‑s‑Øc‑y¯‑n-t‑âb‑p‑w Bß‑m-`‑n-a‑m-\-¯‑n-t‑âb‑p‑w I‑mc‑y-¯‑n ]‑nt‑¶‑m¡‑w t‑]‑mI‑p-¶‑pa‑n-Ã. aIÄ Pk‑o-¡¡‑v Hc‑p aI³ Dï‑v F¶‑p a\-Ê‑n-e‑m-¡‑p¶ h‑mÄ Ahs‑\ I‑q«‑n-s‑¡‑m-ï‑p-h-c‑m³ Bh-i‑y-s‑¸-S‑p¶‑p. "\‑o \‑ns‑â aI³ t‑P‑mÀÖ‑ns‑\ s‑I‑mï‑p hc‑q R‑m³ Ahs‑\ t‑P‑me‑n s‑Nb‑vX‑v hfÀ¯‑p‑w‑' F¶ h‑mÀ²I‑y¯‑nt‑e¡‑v {‑]t‑h-i‑n¨ h‑me‑ns‑â s‑s‑Øc‑y-a‑mÀ¶ \‑nd-N‑nc‑n `‑mh-¯‑n-

e‑mW‑v k‑n\‑na ]c‑y-h-k‑m-\‑n-¡‑p-¶-X‑v. kv{X‑oX‑z-¯‑ns‑â‑, h‑ni‑nj‑ym a‑mX‑rX‑z-¯‑ns‑â `‑n¶`‑mh-§Ä A\‑p-`-h‑n¸‑n-¡‑p¶ s‑dP‑n-\ t‑Ib‑vs‑kb‑ps‑S {‑] I-S-\-¯‑n\‑v k‑m£‑y‑w hl‑n¨‑v ]‑pd¯‑p hc‑p-t‑¼‑mÄ k‑vt‑\l-k‑m-´‑z-\-§-t‑f‑ms‑S Hc‑p Ic-Xe‑w i‑nc-Ê‑n\‑pt‑a XWÂ] S‑w X‑oÀ¡‑p-¶-X‑mb‑n H‑mt‑c‑m t‑{‑]£I\‑p‑w t‑X‑m¶‑p‑w. l‑mc‑nk‑v s‑\t‑•\‑n |

10th December 2015

The Afghan Image

Deconstructed

With Utopia getting selected as Afghan entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards, the Iranian director Hassan Nazer.....

I

n an exclusive interview given to Daily Bulletin, Hassan Nazer opens up about Afganistan, Iran and Utopia...

About IFFK 2015...

It’s amazing! By screening movies which does not fall under the realms of mainstream formula, IFFK opens new vistas for film makers like me. The fest gives its audience a chance to watch films which are often overlooked. I am also overwhelmed to see the passion audience here have for cinema.

My movie, Utopia...

I am glad that Utopia is getting the recognition it deserves. We faced a lot of difficulties while shooting it. Even though we took only 30 days for shooting, it was stretched over 3 months due to the various obstacles we had to face while shooting in Afghanistan. Since the movie was filmed in three places-Scotland, Afghanistan and India- shifting locations also ate some time.

Partners

War and war only...

The films from Middle Eastern countries which get recognition and popularity with global audience will mostly have its underlying theme as war and its consequences. It’s because this is what the Western media projects to the world about these countries. Hence, people know about us only this way and want to see that on the screen also. Movies like A separation and Osama are brilliant, but it’s all the same theme. There are countless other movies with different and positive themes, which depict Afghani or Iranian lives more realistic, but fail to get recognition in a global scheme.

The significance of Utopia lies here. It does not fall under this propaganda of showcasing Afghanistan as a povertystricken war zone. It was difficult for me to find producers because investors thought the movie plot has no selling factor.

Portrayal of female protagonist...

The stigma that women are still veiled heavily in Muslim countries still exists. So a movie from such countries told through

‘her’ perspective is the selling point here.

My movie has a female lead, but Utopia does not deal with a singular person and struggles. Many commented that the character Janan, who is a middle class woman who travels abroad and takes bold decisions, might not ‘sell’ since it goes against the usual standards created by the Western media. Why are we not seeing anything related to the atrocious law against women driving in Saudi Arabia? Because they give oil to the West and have influence over them. We have nothing to offer.

Iranian Filmmakers now...

It is difficult to make movies in Iran because of the laws and restrictions.

Many directors settle abroad, make movies and find success. The creative freedom and connections we get there is what prompts them to shift. But it is astonishing to see that a lot of film aspirants are entering this filed, despite the difficulties. Last year, Iran saw a growth of around 100 new film makers.

Ida Panahandeh, whose movie Nahid is screened here, is one among them.

Jayasree C |

Technical Partners

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