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Where children speak

The Cinema Club of Coimbatore's maiden film festival raised some hard-hitting issues about children, writes K. JESHI

PHOTOS: K. ANANTHAN

INTENSE PORTRAYALS From Children of Heaven

The innocence of Ali and Zohre in Children of Heaven makes you cry. And, in Shwaas, when the tottering grandfather takes along little Paarsha who is about to lose his eyesight, to a park, a fair and a temple, you are with him every step of the way.

The grandmother in Way Home is so cute; you fall in love with her right away. Despite being a hunchback, she works diligently and teaches the lessons of love, kindness, selflessness and humility to her grandson, a spoilt city boy. Kutty (Tamil), which traces the life of a village girl, Kannamma, who ends up as a child labourer, forces you to search for answers.

Simple storytelling

Intense stories on human relationships like these told in a simple yet engaging way opened the window to a new world at a two-day children's film festival organised by the Cinema Club of Coimbatore (CCC) at the Kasthuri Sreenivasan Trust Art Gallery.

Questions were raised on relevant social issues and answers were sought from the audience. So, what if they were just a handful? The event was a moment of glory for the youngsters at the CCC, who are out to make a difference by taking meaningful films to society. This festival set the ball rolling. "When adults begin to watch movies with their thinking caps on, children will follow suit," said `Kavignar' Puviyarasu of the club. Everyone was drawn to the plight of the brother and sister in the Oscar-nominated Children of Heaven (Iran). Shopping in the market, Ali loses his sister Zohre's school shoes.

After trying in vain to find them, he decides that his sister will share his sneakers. The smiles and sorrows of the children linger long after the movie is over. Shot in Tehran, it movingly captures the rich-poor divide too.

The `power of silence' in re-recording was another highlight of the movie.

Students from the DJ Academy of Design quoted this film to explain the visual media's power to communicate. "We want to watch such films in Tamil," said Boopathy Krishnan, student of St. Antony's School. Aayeesha (Tamil) that dealt with corporal punishment in schools evoked a mixed response.

The story revolves around Aayeesha, a brilliant student, whose life ends tragically after a series of incidents. Govindan, a film buff, called it a sentimental drama that failed to provide a solution. "The conclusion is not justified. The science teacher, who shares a good relationship with the girl, should have raised her voice to protect the girl from such punishment at school," he said.

The nuances in the relationship between eight-year-old Mohammad and his grandmother, his sisters and the selfish father in Colour of Paradise (Iranian) moved every child in the audience to tears. "Such movies provide meaningful entertainment to children," said Rakesh S. Katarey, documentary filmmaker and professor at Amrita School of Journalism.

"Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times is like the Mahabharatha. Every time you watch it, you interpret it differently," he added.

Talking about the issues raised in Kutty, Pradeep, a student of Rathinam College, said the film "is a reminder that our duty doesn't end with dialling Childline at 1098. We need to take the responsibility to give back these children their deprived childhood." Rakesh said "such open-ended films trigger the thinking process. They help look at the hidden layers."

Empowering filmmakers

According to S. Kamalakannan, President, CCC, "The festival is an honest attempt to help adults understand the world, values and relationships of a child from his or her perspective." "This way, we also want to promote meaningful filmmaking," he added.

Editor Lenin, special invitee to the fest, wanted people to "Inculcate in children a sense of appreciation, be it for films, music or any other form of art and allow them to explore."

"This should begin at schools and in villages. With their simple story telling, films like Shwaas and Way Home conveyed human emotions and struck a chord with every child. It proved that the language of cinema has no barriers; powerful emotional output can bring about a social change," he said. And, in the words of Rakesh, the experience was a roller coaster ride of emotions that made everyone sit up and take notice.

(See related story, `For good cinema', on page 4)

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