Spotlight on short films

FOR LONG, documentaries and short films produced by the Films Division struggled for an exclusive platform. A possible reversal of trends is on the cards.

A two-day Festival of Documentary and Featurette Films is currently under way at the Southern India Film Chambers where seven award-winning short films are being screened. The show opened with `Darkness of Terror', a film by Rajiv Kumar that portrays the plight of the people of Central Bihar and the scar left by brutal massacres. It won the 47th National Award this year for the Best Film on Social issues.

`Kalamandalam Gopi', a film by Adoor Gopalakrishnan on the art and life of the Kathakali actor, the next in the queue, had won the Kerala State Award last year for Best Documentary and also the 47th National Award for Best Cinematography (award won by Ravi Varma and Prasad Lab., Chennai for processing).

Arunaraje's `Mallika Sarabhai' won the National Award this year for Best Biographical Film and was screened on Saturday, which was followed by `Desabakthan' (patriot), a film that portrays the condition of a freedom fighter caught in the travails of life in his old age.

On Sunday, three films will be screened - `And the Bamboo Blooms', a study of the relationship between the tribals and the bamboo, `Puzhuthiyum Puyalum', a film on the struggle of the landless agricultural labourers of Ramapuram village for statutory minimum wages, and `Vazhu Vazhavidu', a ``featurette'' with a simple plot woven between two tea-shop owners and a circus troop. A film on Rock Sculpture of Mahabalipuram is also scheduled to be shown.

The festival was inaugurated on Saturday by Film Director, Hariharan.

Award winning documentaries on Arts, Culture, Sports, Children's Films and a variety of other subjects produced by the Films Division are available on video cassettes and will shortly be released on CD, officials said.

By Saptarshi Bhattacharya

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Section  : Southern States
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