By Faizal Khan
Cannes, May 17 (UNI) Malayalam cinema is a major highlight of the 29th Cannes Film Festival this weekend with a restored 1986 movie by acclaimed director John Abraham joining the works of such cinematic greats as Akira Kurosawa, Orson Welles, Luchino Visconti, Vittorio de Sica and Chen Kaige in the classics category.
A new 4K restoration of 'Amma Ariyan' ('Report to Mother') by Abraham was screened in the Cannes Classics section on May 16, four decades after the movie was made by the Odessa Collective, a people's movement in Kerala that funded and exhibited the film.
Abraham, who is known for such iconic works as 'Agraharathil Kazhutai' ('Donkey in the Brahmin Village'), 'Vidyarthikale Ithile Ithile' ('This Way, Students') and 'Cheriyachante Kroorakrithyangal' ('Cruelties of Cheriyachan'), died in 1987, a year after he completed 'Amma Ariyan'. Joy Mathew, the lead actor of 'Amma Ariyan' was present at the premiere of the restored film.
"India is a great country, a great territory of cinema. It is also a great territory for revisiting the history of cinema," said Cannes Film Festival's General Delegate Thierry Frémaux, who introduced the movie to the international audience at the premiere.
"The movie made me more perplexed, complexed, and wanted me to be a filmmaker, get down to the street, and be part of a movement. It didn't matter where you wanted to start, but you wanted to question," said Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Director, Film Heritage Foundation, which helped restore the movie.
The restoration in 4K was conducted at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in Bolonga, Italy, in association with the Odessa Collective. The funding for the restoration was provided by Film Heritage Foundation.
The restoration was completed using one of the only two surviving prints --- the first-generation 35mm release print preserved at the National Film Development Corporation-National Film Archive of India.
"The story of the film was based on the Naxalite movement in Kerala. It was my first movie as an actor," said Mathew. "We were gathered as a group, collected money from common people, from two rupees to 20 rupees to 50 rupees. Most of the people on the screen are not with us today. A few of them have survived, but all of these people on the screen are historical legends now after 40 years because of the film," he added.
'Farewell My Concubine' by Kaige, De Sica's 'Two Women', Visconti's 'The Innocent', Kurosawa's 'Sugata Sanshiro' and 'The Stranger' by Welles are also part of the Cannes Classics section this year.
'Amma Ariyan' marks the fifth successive year for Indian cinema in Cannes Classics section.
Satyajit Ray's 1970 film, 'Aranyer Din Ratri', was part of the Cannes Classics last year. 'Aranyer Din Ratri' was presented to the Cannes audience by American filmmaker Wes Anderson, a self-confessed fan of Ray, in the presence of the film's actors Sharmila Tagore and Simi Grewal.
Hindi film, 'Manthan' by Shyam Benegal in 2024, Manipuri film, 'Ishanou', by Aribam Syam Sharma in 2023, and Ray's 1970 film, 'Pratidwandi' and the 1978 Malayalam film, 'Thampu' by G Aravindan were part of Cannes Classics in 2022.
The editor of 'Amma Ariyan', Bina Paul, was also present on the occasion of the premiere of the restored film on May 16.
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