German film

Kerala - Kochi
Film buffs in for a treat

The Cochin Film Society is screening a film each from Poland and Germany. The screening will begin at 6 p.m. at IMA Hall on June 22.

The Cochin Film Society is screening a film each from Poland and Germany.

The Polish film Days of Mathew, made in 1968 by Witold Luszczynski, is a sympathetic study of loneliness experienced by a grown-up man having the mind of a child. Mathew, living with his sister Olga, in a house by the edge of a lake, is dependent on her care and guidance.

But Olga falls in love with a woodcutter, whom Mathew brings home. Terrified of his sister leaving him, Mathew decides to kill himself.

The film, part of the monthly archive screening programme of the society, held in association with the National Film Archives of India, Pune, will be screened at Savitha Theatre from 9.30 a.m. on Sunday.

The German film 'Sophie Scholl: The Final Days', made in 2005 by Marc Rothemund, has won many awards. The film tells the story of Sophie Scholl, who was active in the anti-Nazi movement during the last days of Hitler's regime. The White Rose, a resistance movement aiming for the fall of the Third Reich, was formed in Munich in 1943 by a group of young people, most of them university students. Sophie becomes the only woman in the group.

On February 18, 1942, she and her brother Hans are arrested after getting caught while distributing leaflets at the university. They are interrogated by the Gestapo officer Robert Mohr. The interrogation develops into an intense psychological duel in which Sophie tries to outwit her opponent. However, the evidence against them mounts up, though Sophie tries hard to save her brother and other members of White Rose. Mohr, impressed by Sophie's uncommon bravery, offers her a way out, at the price of betraying her ideals. She refuses to take the offer. Sophie, her brother Hans Scholl and their aide Christoph Probe were guillotined a few hours after the death sentence was delivered. The film shows the last days of her life. The film was nominated for the Academy Awards for best foreign language film and won Silver Bears for the best director and best actress at the Berlin International Film Festival, 2005.

The screening will begin at 6 p.m. at IMA Hall, Warriam Road, on June 22.
R.R.
(The Hindu, Wednesday, June 14, 2006)

Students vicdeo fest

Kerala - Kochi
A 'travelling festival' of video films from the campus

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: Short films can serve as a bridge for students aspiring to enter the world of cinema, said film director Anwar Rasheed.

Rasheed was speaking after inaugurating the National Students' Video Film Festival organised by Jehangirabad Media Institute, Lucknow, Chetana Media Institute, Thrissur and Chavara Cultural Centre at Sacred Heart College, Thevara, on Monday.

He said students interested in cinema were now being offered far more opportunities and facilities than earlier. Several colleges were conducting courses on filmmaking and corresponding technologies. Likewise, institutions offering courses in filmmaking had also sprung up.

Rasheed presented the award to Albert Kurien, who made 'Xeno,' one of the award-winning short films included in the package.

The festival package included 15 short films that had won various awards at the National Students' Video Festival organised by Jehangirabad Media Institute, Lucknow, in April. The films are being taken around the country as a travelling festival.

A five-minute short film titled, 'Use Me,' made by the students of S.H. College, along with a couple of students from the Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, was also screened at the festival. The film deals with environmental issues.
S.H. College manager Cheriyan Kuniyanthodathu presided over the function. Chetana Media Institute director Benny Benedict also spoke.

Nearly 30 students spoke at the Open Forum held in the afternoon discussing issues, including social reality and Indian reality.

(The Hindu, Tuesday, June 13, 2006)

Kathakali appreciation

Kerala - Kochi
Deciphering the nuances of a classical art form

Renu Ramanath

KOCHI: Every art form needs its own set of specialised viewers or listeners. The sustaining, development and evolution of the art form is made possible only through the active interaction and cooperation between its practitioners and these well-informed aficionados. The form receives energy for its development through the critical intervention of these connoisseurs.

However, such well-tuned viewers will never rise out of the blue. They need to be cultivated and educated. The responsibility of any individual or group working for the betterment of any art form does not end with offering platforms for the performers. Creating generations of intelligent viewers is also an important part of their functioning.

Taking upon this responsibility, the Ernakulam Kathakali Club has been organising Kathakali Appreciation Courses. So far, the club had organised three such courses and the fourth one is on at the Kerala Fine Arts Hall.

The course, organised by the Kathakali Club in association with the Kerala Fine Arts Society, began on Saturday with a simple inaugural function. V.N. Venugopal, president of the Kerala Fine Arts Society lighted the traditional lamp marking the beginning of the course. Kathakali Club president A.D. Krishnan Asan honoured Kalamandalam Kesavan with a 'ponnada.'

The directors of the seven-day course are C.P. Unnikrishnan and Kalamandalam Kesavan. Between them, Mr. Unnikrishnan and Mr. Kesavan have designed a compact package offering a comprehensive introduction and overview of the fundamental aspects of Kathakali.

Mr. Unnikrishnan, in his introductory speech, dwelled on the need for such appreciation courses to ensure the sustenance of the art form. He said that considering the opinions that have come up following the earlier courses, this time they were planning to include more information on the musical aspects of Kathakali.

Since no speaking is involved in Kathakali unlike in Kudiyattam, its 'vaachika abhinaya,' is made up of the accompanying music, both vocal and percussion. However, Mr. Unnikrishnan said they were not intending to refer any of the contentious points regarding Kathakali music. The course began with an introduction to the 24 mudras used in Kathakali, as stipulated in the classical treatise, 'Hasthalakshanadeepika,' that forms the basis of the classical art forms of Kerala. The mudras will be demonstrated by an actor accompanied by the corresponding body movements.
(The Hindu, Monday, June 12, 2006)