In a rare gesture, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), United States (U.S.), has decided to honour the legacy of celebrated filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan. The UWM has established ‘The Adoor Gopalakrishnan Archive and Research Fund’, which will function under the UWM Department of Film, Video, Animation and New Genres.
The fund will enable and encourage students to study Adoor’s films and will provide them assistance to make new films.
The archive will work to acquire, preserve and screen Adoor’s films. This is being done, according to university sources, to expand the understanding of Indian culture through films.
“It is certainly a huge honour. Studies and research on my films are being done in some universities abroad like the University of Chicago and the Yale University. But to have a separate department, a fund, and archive is an honour for any filmmaker,” said Adoor in a telephonic chat from Mumbai.
In his illustrious career spanning three decades, Adoor has made 11 feature films and over 40 documentaries and short films. “All my feature films are archived there. They form the main content for study and research. I think some of my documentaries and short films are there too since all of them are not available.”
Adoor is not a stranger to this University.
“They know me and my films well. Many of my films have been screened here earlier.”
Like in most U.S. universities, the funding for research and also to make films is through private sources. In the case of ‘The Adoor Gopalakrishnan Archive and Research Fund’ it will not be different. “The project has just started. In fact, the first gift after the fund was established was in memory of my mother. I was touched.”
Winner of numerous national and international awards and honours such as the Padma Vibhushan, Dada Saheb Phalke Award, as well as honorary doctorates from various universities, Adoor certainly is deserving of this special honour.
And the timing of the accolade could not have better when Indian cinema is celebrating its centenary and Malayalam cinema its 75th year.
