::: PRESS RELEASE :::

15thINTERNATIONAL

       FILM FESTIVAL
          of KERALA                 

2010 december 10-17, thiruvananthapuram

                                                                  

 Organised by Kerala State Chalachitra Academy

  for the Department of Cultural Affairs, Govt. of Kerala

The Legends Remembered

Death is like a clown without a sense of the stage, snatching away lives at the oddest of hours and times! The year 2010 has also been depressing in that it marked the untimely demise of some of the stalwarts of the Malayalam film industry. Attempting to retrace their good work is the section ‘Homage’ of the 15^th International Film Festival of Kerala, with a bouquet of seven films.

‘Lal Salam’, directed by Venu Nagavalli portrays the life and times of a political leader who was committed to ideology. Through the depiction of characters, the contest between idealism and pragmatism gets unravelled. In the horror thriller ‘Manichitrathazhu’, we listen to the dulcet tones born out of the strings of the doyen of music, M.G Radhakrishnan. The movie levitates viewers through the less explored lanes of whims and fantasies. Known for his prolific song writing skills, Gireesh Puthencheri dons the role of a screenwriter in ‘Vadakkumnathan’. Its thread moves around the pitfalls in the life of a Sanskrit scholar Bharata Pisharody and his adjustment/mal adjustments to societal living after years of anonymity In the multi-starrer blockbuster movie, ‘Chemmeen’, the character Nallapennu, played by Adoor Pankajam is remarkable. The film catches every nuance of lost love and fidelity through its plot that narrates the story of sea and seamen.

No one could easily forget the tender hearted goon ‘Haidros’ in Kireedam. By imparting life to such a character with great panache, Kochin Haneefa redefined the hitherto held image of a hooligan. Sreenath too played a significant part in the film. The poignant tale of a young man whose dreams and ambitions get shattered as a result of an encounter with a local gangster gets portrayed in the film.

Mankada Ravi Varma wields the camera for director Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s feature film debut ‘Swayamvaram’ with acme. This film which won prestigious National Awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Cinematography also brought the man with the movie camera accolades at the national level. Ushering waves of transition into Malayalam film aesthetics, it marked the first break into social realism. It was in director Abdul Aziz’z ‘Aval’ that Mankada Ravi Varma made his entry as a cinematographer. The film is a get-together of different artistic talents including Thoppil Bhasi, Vayalar, Ummer, Madhu, Santha Devi and so on.

The pioneering and rich work by each of these cherished members of the fraternity shall ever linger in our hearts.