Fourteen acclaimed films will vie with one another for the Golden Crow Pheasant Award at the 22nd International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). Four Indian films figure in the list of 14. While Kadvi Hawa (Dark Wind) and Newton are Hindi language films, Randuper and Aedan are from IFFK’s home terrain. These four films are expected to hold India’s hopes of winning the Golden Crow Pheasant Award.
Prem Shankar’s Randuper (Two Persons) delves into the burning issue of gender politics and relationships amid the hardships of demonetization. The film, bereft of a complex narrative pattern, takes a look into the psyche of human emotions and break-ups. Aedan (Garden of Desire), directed by Sanju Surendran, undertakes a journey to the contrasting worlds of love and death.
Amit V. Masurkar’s Newton narrates the tale of a rule-abiding official setting out to a strife-troubled tribal village to conduct the polls, despite local apathy. The film highlights the challenges of organising just and liberal elections in far-flung hamlets of India. The other Hindi film Kadvi Hawa , is directed by Nila Madhab Panda, and portrays the pathetic plight of farmers in rural Rajasthan. The other films vying for top honours include Candelaria by Jhonny Hendrix, Returnee by Sabit Kurmanbekov, Grain by Semih Kaplanoglu, I Still Hide to Smoke by Rayhana, Malila - The Farewell Flower by Anucha Boonyawatana, Pomegranate Orchard by Ilgar Najaf, Symphony for Ana by Ernesto Ardito, The World of Which We Dream Doesn’t Exist by Ayoub Qanir, Wajib by Annemarie Jacir, and White Bridge by Ali Ghavitan.
