IFFK 2024’s signature film pays tribute to legacy of Malayalam cinema

Swapnayanam, the signature film of the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), pays tribute to the legacy of Malayalam cinema, beginning from the notice announcement of the first film Vigathakumaran, directed by J.C. Daniel.

The Capitol theatres, in which the first film was screened, is juxtaposed into present day Thiruvananthapuram. The transformation of the film theatre spaces over the years, as well as the unseen work of the labourers that go into setting up these spaces are also captured, all of it culminating in a visual of P.K. Rosy (played by Abhirami Bose), the heroine of the first film, who was forced to flee following attacks from caste bigots, watching a film in a present-day cinema.

The one minute-long signature film was written and directed by K.O. Akhil, a Mumbai-based cinematographer. Akhil’s classmates from the K.R. Narayanan National Institute of Visual Sciences and Arts as well as the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Pune put in a collective effort in the making of the film.

Published - December 13, 2024 07:43 pm IST