Here are my views on the movies that had been included and those won awards in the recently concluded International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) 2007. To me, personally, it was higly dissappointing festival. Not because of its orgnaisation, but because of the quality of the content of the films included. Again it was not because of the organisers' failure, but because of the degeneration of subjects and ideas all over.But for 10+4, I have watched all the films that won the awards in IFFK. But unfortunately none of them appealed to me as extra ordinary.XXY is nothing but the other side of an old Hollywood oscar winner-Boys Dont Cry.Bliss is as old as our Padmarajan-Bharatan era. 10+4 is again a sequel to a master piece.Getting Home is the most appealing amongst them, which is nothing but a Satyan Anthikkad kind of movie. Turtle Family is thematically nothing greater (to be more precise greater than or equal to) Elipathayam.Only Sleep walking Land and movies like Lives of Others did appeal this year apart from the Masters'. Films of Jafar Panahi and some films in disguised names like Surrogate Mother (People who have watched films in the 88 Trivandrum Filmotsav might havent forgotten the Korean masterpiece Surrogate woman)were also old. There is nothing in watching good old movies again and again. But it is quite disgusting to realise that nothing new is coming from the new brew. When I Shared this with some of my friends, they accussed me of being sceptical and cynical. Maybe. But this IFFK is an eye opener to me that content wise degeneration is an Universal phenomenon and people are concerned only about the form, which is very well reflected in this years' signature film itself.
3 comments:
You said it right. In fact Geethartha's comments on IFFK 2007 published in Page 61 of Samakalika malayalam varika that hit stands today, too shares the same view that you have expressed. While all the rest went on appraising the festival (as most of the so called critics were in one way or the other involved with the organisation of the festival) only the two of you came up with real and true impressions on the festival.
dear friend, your observations on the signature film made by Vipin Vijay seems little lop sided. what is wrong after all these years if form is given importance and the craft demystified? I think the signature film of IFFK 2007 was simply brilliant.
Payal
Payal's observations may be subjective. I understand the importance of Form in Post Modern era. But no form will survive unto the last if it is projected without suitable content. The timelessness of a creative work definitely is based on its content, I strongly beleive
Post a Comment