More Film at the Freer
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Indian state of Kerala, the Freer in association with the Embassy of India presents six films from that region's distinguished cinematic tradition.
This series is cosponsored by Varghese and Rani George in collaboration with the Asia Society Washington Center and supported by the Government of Kerala, Directorate of Film Festivals, Sangeet Natak Academy, and the Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi.
All films are in Malayalam with English subtitles.
Kathakali: Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair
Friday, March 2, 7 PM
In Person: Sukanya Mukherji.
Master filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan – subject of a 2003 Freer retrospective – brings to life the ancient South Indian performance art of Kathakali. The film charts the life and times the octogenarian Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair, one of Kerala's most decorated artists. It also includes fascinating backstage views into performers' lives – from the application of intricate and flamboyant makeup, to tortuous sinew–stretching exercises – and magical footage of Kathakali performances. Sukanya Mukherji, Executive Director of the Mayur Dance Academy, will provide an introduction to Kathakali before the film. (India, 2005, 73 min.) The screening will be followed by a Kathakali performance by Anupama Dinesh Kumar and Seekala Varma.
Manasarovar
Sunday, March 4, 2 PM
In Person: Anup Kurian, director.
The title of Anup Kurian's moving, tragi–comic love story refers to Lake Manasarovar in Tibet, a holy place in both Hinduism and Buddhism. For the characters in the film, it stands for the quest for clarity on one's life. Set in stunning landscapes across India, it tells the story of a woman who meets the brother of her former lover, a free–spirited writer who has mysteriously disappeared, triggering memories of their doomed affair and igniting the hope that it might not be too late to start over. (India, 2004, 90 min.; English and Malayalam, Hindi, and Marathi with English subtitles)
The Dispossessed / Vasthuhara
Friday, March 9, 7 PM
Govindan Arivindan, one of the most renowned figures in Kerala cinema, created this sensitive blend of the political and the personal. In it, a government officer in charge of refugees in Calcutta chances upon members of his own family among the disadvantaged people he is charged with helping. This contact with his relatives makes him acutely aware of the pain of being dispossessed of one's identity, of being mentally and emotionally rootless. (India, 1990, 103 min.)
Ponthan Mada
Sunday, March 11, 2 PM
T.V. Chandran's moving film is about the caste–transcending friendship that develops between a man from the "untouchable" class and his colonial landlord, a political activist who was expelled from England for supporting the Irish Republic Army. The great actor Mammooty won a National Film Award in India for his stirring performance in the title role. (India, 1993, 119 min.)
Waves and Shore / Olavum Teeravum
Friday, March 16, 7 PM
This hugely influential film brought the New Indian Cinema art house aesthetic to Kerala. P.N. Menon's first feature is innovative for is use of local dialects and expansive seaside locations. A tale of tragic love, it concerns a Muslim trader trying to scrape together enough money to properly marry the woman he loves. But his plans are put in jeopardy when a wealthy stranger tries to woo her away. (India, 1969, 120 min., b&w)
The Blessed Offering / Nirmalayam
Sunday, March 18, 2 PM
Respected novelist and screenwriter M.T. Vasudevan Nair made his directorial debut with this intensely primal cinematic fable about Kerala on the verge of modernization. The action centers on an ancient, neglected temple tended by an aging oracle, a living anachronism increasingly ignored by the local villagers – until a smallpox outbreak forces them to seek his help to appease the goddess. Featuring a charismatic performance by P.J. Anthony as the oracle and expressionist cinematography, this is a true Kerala cinema treasure. (India, 1973, 134 min., b&w)
March 2 - March 18, 2007