Update: 27th 2022 IFFK is being held in Trivandrum from 09-16 December. RIFFK schedules are yet to be announced. Mainstream films of the likes of Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam are also screened.
Kochi has always been a spot for a spectacle of art and cultural events. One such event was the Regional International Film Festival of Kerala, which is organised by the Kerala State Chalachithra Academy by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala since 1996. This year the main event was first held at Trivandrum, after which the regional event came down to Kochi from April 1st to April 5th.
Kochi residents witnessed the event last back in 2019 before COVID struck. With reduced numbers and lesser restrictions, there was a quiet but excited buzz about the slow return to normalcy.
The registration was simple. We looked over the fees, which were ₹500 per person, and granted unlimited entry into any film that was screened over the five days. The event was held at Kavitha theatre and the Saritha Savitha Sangeetha theatre. A total of around 70 films were screened at all theatres simultaneously. So we had to choose films based on their story and the existing reviews; we also had help from my student who had already attended the event in Trivandrum. During registration, a photograph was also insisted on, so we knew this was serious business, which was odd because usual registrations never required such a thing. Nandu contemplated putting in only his nose as a joke and thankfully didn’t. The registration was complete after the payment and we got our individual registration numbers.
Given our work schedules, we planned to sit in for the whole Sunday and for the evening shows during the weekdays. Being so close and brushing shoulders with the film world, the various international and national films being screened, plus the number of great food spots that were located in and around where the fest was happening, Nandu and I decided against sitting idly at home for what was going to be an eventful weekend of films and food. This was what usually happened on our low-key Sundays of lazing about, cooking and napping, and catching up on household chores; we could do that the next weekend too.
The fest was officially launched on Friday with actor Mohanlal inaugurating the function. The next evening on Saturday, we rushed to Saritha Savitha Sangeetha theatre located at Kacheripady. The theatre is easily accessible by road and via metro after a short walk from the M.G. Road metro station.
On reaching, we realised the place was crawling with people - students from various colleges volunteering and having fun, men and women in their work attire, familiar famous faces passing us by faces we knew from the movies and media. ’This is that guy’ and ‘Ey this is her’ we said to ourselves, as we moved into the crowd. To the left of the entrance, a stage had been set up for cultural events and also a photo exhibition showcasing Malayalam cinema with its history and growth over the years. There were black and white photographs captured by the late cinematographer Sivan. Many may know his son Santhosh Sivan who is also a well-known cinematographer/director in Indian cinema.
The register counter for the official ID tag and other merchandise had closed; dismayed we showed our registration ID numbers at the counter and rushed in for the movie, as we were already 10 minutes late.
Film: Camila comes out tonight
A simple story of feminism and teenage angst and exploration, the movie showed a girl's journey into a new school and her experiences within this traditional atmosphere.
Pre-show Dinner
Just before the show, we had dinner at Sreekrishna Inn, a vegetarian restaurant located about 3 kms from the Theatre, making it easy for us to travel. Being a huge fan of masala dosa and on my quest to find an ever-perfect masala dosa, this place was recommended by a dear colleague of mine. The restaurant draws you in with its ancient, simple architecture, and dim, pleasant lighting, giving off the old-school charm. Old-timey, friendly waiter uncles in their uniforms greeted us with smiles; they looked like they had been working at this establishment for a long time. We had the tomato soup first, which wasn’t good and had to be sent back. Masala pappad was delicious and the masala dosa was good too. The chutneys were watery, however. We had the paneer kadai which was lacking in flavour, and the tandoor roti was soft and delicious. They didn't charge us for the soup.
Sunday
It was a clear day as we took off on our scooter once again. We had our special breakfast at home and reached the theatre to finish our registration. We finally got our ID tag and IFFK merchandise which consisted of a cloth tote bag, a catalogue of the movies being played, and a face mask. The catalogue was especially impressive with its content and design; it came with a small brochure as well, with the showtimes for all the films. I also met my student - the one to lead us to this fest - shortly before the show. The air of excitement was clear in the theatre; not sure if it was because of the atmosphere or because the film that was about to show uncensored porn content. Nandu sure looked happy and eager.
There was a brief introduction to the film, both in English and Malayalam, which was a nice touch and the screening began.
With explicit scenes, the film looks at a school teacher in the aftermath of her sex tape being uploaded on the internet. It was funny, artsy, thought-provoking, and very well-acted.
At around 11 am the film ended and we decided to get in next only for the 2: 30 show, leaving us with plenty of time. We left for lunch at Tandoori Chilli, a restaurant serving north-Indian and Andhra cuisine, that’s been a constant classic with Kochi residents. The restaurant has two floors with north Indian cuisine being served on the ground floor and Andhra dishes on the first floor, as indicated by the staff. We were seated and went for the Andhra meals, chicken sixer, and dahi vada. The Andhra ‘meals’ was absolutely delicious and nothing else can describe it. The dal curry with spinach leaves was particularly good. We were beyond satisfied with the food. Chicken sixer for ₹315 and dahi vada was okay and I won't highly recommend it. On our way back for the next show, we noticed the 24th Kochi International Book Festival (KIBF) going on at Ernakulathapan Grounds, which is a centre point of Kochi that witnesses a number of such exhibitions and fairs. We decided to check it out.
Being a book lover, I realised this cannot be missed. Numerous colourful stalls were set up in the vicinity with a podium set up for events in the centre as well. There were plenty of options from young children's books to fiction and nonfiction books. Preloved books were also sold here with amazing titles at very affordable rates. After excitedly going through the many stalls, we left after purchasing a few books, hurrying back for the show.
Film: Boomba Ride
With humble characters and a simple story, the film depicted a village that tried to keep its only government school from shutting down with only one student. The actors were probably the weakest point of the film and it felt like they were just reciting the dialogues with a straight face.
Around 4 pm we were out again with more exploring. Subash Chandra park was situated right in the vicinity. A lakefront park with a view and a constant cool breeze, we had never visited it before, in spite of living in Kochi for almost 4years. Being a hot summer's day, the park had quite a few visitors who, like us, wanted to cool off. With a lovely view of the waters, we settled ourselves under a tree and Nandu had a small siesta as well.
Film: Chavittu (Stomp)
The next show was at 6:15 pm for Chavittu or Stomp and the theatre was full down to the last seat. This hadn’t happened for any of the other shows.
The film shows the long, arduous practice sessions of a chavittunadagam theatre troupe. We also had a Q&A session with the makers of the film at the end. We came to know that the actors were actual theatre artists, which explained the brilliant performances from everyone in the film. I personally did not enjoy the film much, probably because it was a musical.
We ended the day with the film ‘Kalla Nottam’; a movie shot from the perspective of a ten year old boy who steals a GoPro camera which becomes an instrument for serious issues later. Personally, I felt that this was the most uninteresting film of the lot. The making was supposed to be “raw” and “natural”, but felt so immature. There were lots of repeated dialogues and I was screaming inside for the boy to stop calling ‘Kishoree Kishoree’. The ending was the worst and was borderline glorifying moral policing. I wanted to get a perspective from the director at the end, but the Q&A was canceled.
Four films in a day and we were done with our Sunday. As we returned home, we were still unsure if we wanted to go for the remaining shows on Monday and Tuesday, especially because I had a prior commitment already. And also because of how tiring a weekday was, my early bedtime, etc - these were factors to consider. However, the excitement of the weekend lingered on; we would have missed out on so much more by staying away. The energy around that space, the people and the crowd, the faces we were familiar with, and the movies and the food of course. It appeared that we were collectively forgetting our ‘COVID days’ and were returning to a time when our lives were almost so normal. So we caught two more films on Monday and Tuesday, catching the last show of ‘Anatolian Leopard’ and ‘Pilgrims’. The last day ended with a live ganamela-esque music show on the stage that was set up in front.
Film: Anatolian Leopard The film revolves around the director of a Zoo, who tries to protect the zoo from being demolished for an amusement park. He does this by hiding the death of the zoo’s most prized animal - the Anatolian leopard. The animal's protected status is the only factor preventing the zoo from being shut down. It dragged on for a while but overall was a decent movie.
Film: Pilgrims
A woman travels to a small town with the brother of her former boyfriend, who was killed there in a violent tragedy. As the pair retrace his steps, they unravel the circumstances of his death. The description from the wiki and the IFFK catalogue looked interesting, and it was a well-made film too. However in the end we were left wondering what was the point of the whole film!
We also managed to visit two food spots as well. One was the varavu kada located beside the road from Shenoy’s Theatre opposite the Society Bakery which was another spot on our list. These were marked down in Nandu’s google maps, saved over the years of watching food shows and reading articles. The varavu kada is a long-established chip shop with an open area to fry chips. The products were all freshly made and they served sweets as well. The yellow jalebis were delicious and we bought a few spiced-banana chips as well.
At the Society Bakery, the jap cake and the butter bean cake were the must-try items here for their unique flavour that has apparently been a hit with Kochi residents for many years now.
We also revisited the book festival with my sister and found a lovely south Indian restaurant with fresh snacks, named ‘Hotel Rathna Vilas’ located within walking distance of the Ernakulathapan grounds.
And so our week of fun, food, and films came to an end.
Comentários