Thiruvananthapuram: Vying with each other for the coveted Golden Crown Pheasant Award at the 22nd International Film Festival of Kerala [ 22nd IFFK ] would be an array of 14 amazing films. Most of the movies in the line-up have already generated much enthusiasm, after having been screened at a variety of global film festival platforms.
Among the 14 would be four Indian movies. While ‘Kadvi Hawa’ (Dark Wind), and ‘Newton’, are Hindi language flicks, ‘Randuper’ and ‘Aedan’ are from IFFK’s home terrain. These four films are expected to spur Indian hopes of winning the Golden Crow Pheasant laurel.
Prem Shankar’s ‘Randuper’ (Two Persons) brings under the limelight the burning issues of gender politics and relationships amidst the hardships of demonetization. The film, bereft of a complex narrative pattern, peeks into the psyche of human emotions and break ups. Meanwhile, ‘Aedan’ (Garden of Desire), directed by Sanju Surendran, undertakes a journey to the contrasting worlds of love and death.
Amit V Masurkar’s ‘Newton’ narrates the tale of a rule-abiding official setting out to a strife-troubled tribal village to conduct the polls, despite local apathy. The film highlights the challenges of organizing just and liberal elections in far flung hamlets of India.
The other Hindi film in the competition section, ‘Kadvi Hawa’, is directed by Nila Madhab Panda, and portrays the pathetic plight of farmers in rural Rajasthan.
The other films vying for the top honours include ‘Candelaria’ by Jhonny Hendrix, ‘Returnee’ by Sabit Kurmanbekov, ‘Grain’ by Semih Kaplanoglu, ‘I Still Hide to Smoke’ by Rayhana, ‘Malila- The Farewell Flower’ by Anucha Boonyawatana, ‘Pomegranate Orchard’ by Ilgar Najaf, ‘Symphony for Ana’ by Ernesto Ardito, ‘The World of Which We Dream Doesn’t Exist’ by Ayoub Qanir, ‘Wajib by Annemarie Jacir, and ‘White Bridge’ by Ali Ghavitan.
