IFFK venues remain house full on day two
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Festival favourites may be a separate package at the IFFK, but delegates rush at the 15 venues for Day 2 hinted that the segregation could be a misnomer, as most of the films shown went full house. Portraits in a Sea of Lies, the 2010 Suvarna Chakoram winner; and A Sad and a Beautiful World, a love story set in Lebanon amidst all the upheavals it faces were the clear favourites of many. A clutch of Indian films also caught eyes: Joe Babys Ebb, Moham by Fazil Razak, and Neeraj Gheywans Homebound. The curation for the day also included a mix of picks on women-centric stories Die My Love in the World Cinema section being a stand-out. Women in focus frames shown also included Arabic films such as Aisha Cant Fly Away and The Girl Who Stole Time from China. The Palestinian package, aptly titled Under the Olive Tree, marked its presence with Once Upon a Time in Gaza by Palestinian twins Arab and Tarzan Nasser best known for their short film Condom Lead (2013). This time, they tell the story of a student who is in alliance with a dealer and a crime that he witnessed. The Indian Cinema Now package has quite a formidable bunch with movies from filmmakers across the country whose films have been making a mark in the independent cinema scene. Vinod Kapris Pyre, Nidhi Saxenas Secret of a Mountain Serpent, Theatre, Full Plate, and Song of Forgotten Trees garnered attention. We watch them closely. It is educational, said Nishant Sharma, a student from Bengaluru. Veteran takes such as Meghe Dhaka Tara and Nirmalyam also found space on the screens on Day 2. A film not part of the fest, yet one that evinced interest was Cinema Metamorphosis, a 30-second film conceptualised by Rebecca Rachan Paul, with Suresh Eriyat as the creative director and Neelima Eriyat as the producer. Like how dragonflies are attracted to light, cinema can be the light that drags minds in darkness out of their cocoon, elaborates Neelima. Day 2 also saw the inauguration of Kerala Safari, a part of the larger government initiative for public convenience, at the Tagore theatre. The service of five autos and four cabs can be availed of by delegates free of charge to travel to venues, says Arun T, who oversees the operation of services at IFFK. As dusk fell, another world opened up where music and art performances slowly unveiled.
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