Thiruvanathapuram: The 22nd International Film Festival of Kerala will, as part of “The Contemporary Film Maker in Focus” category, line up a bunch of films made by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, the proficient Chad director; and Michel Franco, the Mexican director who brought the realities of contemporary lifestyle and society on screen.
The films that will be screened are ‘Our Father’, ‘Grigris’, ‘Dry Season’, ‘Bye-Bye Africa’, ‘A Season in France’, and ‘A Screaming Man’ by Haroun, and ‘After Lucia’, ‘Through The Eyes’, ‘Daniel and Ana’, ‘Chronic’, and ‘April’s Daughter’ by Franco.
Haroun is credited with bringing Chad to the world, and the world to Chad. Described as the most genuine and realest representations of human life in Chad, Haroun’s works are statements of extreme political influence and significance. ‘Our Father’ tells the tale of two boys who go in search of their father, who had abandoned the family. The dream of a man with a paralyzed leg to become a dancer is skillfully portrayed in ‘Grigris’. ‘Dry Season’ brings on screen the Chadian civil war.
Written and directed by Haroun, the docu-drama ‘Bye-Bye Africa’ has him too in the cast. While ‘A Screaming Man’ is the tale of an African swimming champion, ‘A Season in France’ is Haroun’s French drama film released in 2017.
The inclusion of his films in “The Contemporary Film Maker in Focus” category would be the finest form of tribute to the multiple award-winning film maker, who is the cultural minister of Chad.
The top prize winner in the Un Certain Regard category at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, ‘After Lucia’ saw the rise of master filmmaker Michel Franco.
The film reveals the bitter experiences of a teenage girl. ‘April’s Daughter’, his newest flick, brings to the audience the tale of a 17-year-old girl who bears a child. While ‘Chronic’ is about a home-nurse’s intimate relationship with his patients, ‘Daniel and Ana’ explains the elegant nuances of a brother-sister relationship.
‘Through the Eyes’ is a story of a social worker, and her interactions with the society. The brilliance of Franco, would unfold as these movies are screened at the film carnival.
