IDSFFK 2015: Biographical and Political films in store for film enthusiasts

The eighth International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) 2015 is screening a wide array of films that deals with the relevant socio-political issues of our contemporary society. On the second day, 59 Films across 8 categories were screened.

“The Hope Doctors” by Diya Banerjee is a bittersweet journey into the lives of ordinary people and their extraordinary worlds. Told through the lens of medical clowning, the film questions the need for compassionate healthcare.

“Cine-Maa” is the first independent short film by Jaypraad Desai. It tells the story of a man named ‘Limba’ and his son, who live and bed on the streets of Mumbai. Both characters rely on the world of movies to overcome their miseries in day to day life.

The Marathi short documentary “Cotton Dreams” by Sandeep Rampal Balhara deals with the side effects of the growing economy and extensive use of biotechnology affecting the Indian farmers leading to the world’s greatest agrarian crisis. The film is an emphatic portrayal about how a poor farmer family is enduring the world’s largest agrarian crisis in rural India.

 “Comrade Walks on Thin Ice” is inspired from an anthology of memoirs written by Eduardo Galeano, titled Days and Nights of Love and War, this short film narrates an episode from the lonely life of a revolutionary who used to be pivotal figure in the communist movement years ago. The  film is directed by

“Caste and Cleanliness” (Vritiyude Jathi) by Vidhu Vincent is a documentary trying to enquire into manual scavenging and its link with the caste system.

‘On a Quest’ by Prasanna R S is an English biographical feature film based on a true story of the life of Hindu spiritual guru and founder of Chinmaya Mission, Swami Chinmayananda.

‘Born Into Brothels’ in the ‘Best of IDA’ category is an English film by Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski. The film deals with the stigmatized people in Calcutta’s red light district.

Apart from the screenings of films, a “Press Meet” and “Face to Face” featuring documentary and short film-makers was held at Kairali Façade.

The third day of International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala will also witness an array of films that portrays the creative lives of eminent personalities who established themselves in various fields. A total of 32 films across 10 categories will be screened.

  ‘Maruvili’ is an attempt of a poet-turned-filmmaker to portray the life and poetic idiom of one of his great predecessors, Attoor Ravivarma, who is a distinct genius of the Modernist era of Indian poetry.

“A Poet, A City and a Footballer” directed by Joshy Joseph, is a meditative film dealing with death and celebration of life. The dramatis personae consist of a melancholic city; a dying young poet; and an iconic footballer who refuses to be defeated.

National award winning filmmaker Sanju Surendran’s “Kapila” is documentary on the traditional art form of ‘Kutiyattam’.

There are two documentary films about the filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Vipin Vijay’s “Bhoomiyil Chuvadurachu” primarily presents the Master filmmaker in spaces relating to his past and present, within diversely constructed cinematographic situations. The film is a guided tour of Adoor’s creative topography by the filmmaker himself, his artistic preoccupations and cinematic visions. Girish Kasaravali’s “Images and Reflection” is also about Adoor Gopalakrishnan, and it depicts his film making style and his idioms through interviews and clippings of his films while focusing on the relationship between arts of Kerala and his films.

Werner Herzog’s “Grizzly Man” in the “Best of IDA” section is a devastating and heartrending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzlies in Alaska.

 “An Inconvenient Truth”, another film in the “Best of IDA” section, is a riveting documentary that promises to spark debate and may well affect critical environmental change. The film weaves the science of global warming with Vice President Al Gore’s personal history and long-time commitment to communicating the need to reverse the effects of global climate change.

The daily “Press Meet” and “Face to Face” featuring documentary and short film-makers will be held in Kairali Façade at 12:00 P.M and 5:00 P.M respectively.