This certainly is the age of visual media. Even children are making films, wielding handi-cams.
In tune with the times, schools in Kozhikode district have embarked on a project producing visual documentaries on the history of the school and the village they are located in, with inspiring participation students. Meanwhile Sunday Theatres, an NGO, working for children, based in Kozhikode in association with the Department of Information and Public Relations (PRD) went a step ahead. They decided to produce a feature film for school children under the direction of a Malayalam film director, Ali Akbar.
The film titled 'Mazhavillu Kanditundo,' (Have you seen a rainbow) is based on a story written by cultural activist Civic Chandran with the same title.
Inspiring tale
"The story inspires students to think beyond the strict compartments of social and religious institutions and carries the message of harmony and progressive thoughts against all divisions," said Ali Akbar, director of the film.
P. Kunhabdulla, District Information Officer, said, "The project was also aimed at familiarising the medium of film to school students." As many as 50 students from various schools in the district were selected for the project. The script, camera and direction of the film was handled by Ali Akbar. The shooting is on at a private studio in Kozhikode now.
During the workshops, the students were given an idea of how a story was being transformed into a script and later into a screenplay and a movie.
"They were also given training in various technical aspects of film-making such as special effects, graphics, audio recording, dubbing and editing of the movie," said Ali Akbar.
For Shyambhavi, a Std II student of Providence Girls Higher Secondary School in Kozhikode, the workshop and shoot gave a whole new world of experience. "Now I know how a story reaches us as a beautiful film," says Shyambhavi, who also dons an important role in the movie. Confidence and zest were palpable in the voice of M.M. Vishnu, a Std IX student of Government Higher Secondary School, Paymbra, who was in the camp. "Now I know the difference between the acting in films and the stage," said Vishnu, who added that he was amazed to observe the slow process of a folk story being transformed into a wonderful movie. The film is planned to be released on Children's day.
