“Interactions within this mini-world congregating at Goa will facilitate deeper understanding and.."

The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has said that IFFI, the International Film Festival of India, promotes an invigorating synergy between delegates from different nations and societies, united by cinema. Describing IFFI as the biggest film festival of India, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that “the interactions within this mini-world congregating at Goa will facilitate deeper understanding and new learnings in the world of art”.

Swati Bhat

In his message, the Prime Minister observes that IFFI and Indian cinema have carved out a niche for themselves on the global stage. “Films in different Indian languages are reaching out to a larger international audience and are being increasingly appreciated across the world.”

The Prime Minister has also shared his thoughts on the role of cinema in both reflecting as well as shaping social dynamics. “For over a century now, cinema has captured the imagination of people the world over. Cinema reflects the social dynamics of our times as well as shapes it.”

The Prime Minister speaks also about the narrative power of films in bringing about social transformation and the rich history and art of storytelling in Indian languages. “Films have a unique ability to transcend barriers and establish an emotional connect with the audience. Movies entertain, educate or even inspire people through their powerful storytelling. Their efficacy in becoming a vehicle of social transformation is truly unparalleled. India is blessed with a rich and diverse culture, an amalgamation of tradition with the modern. The history and art of storytelling in various Indian languages ranging from prose, poetry, music, dance, plays, dramas to cinema, enables us to celebrate our vibrant socio-cultural landscape.”

The Prime Minister states that Goa is the perfect venue for the festival and that it will inspire festival delegates to come up with new ideas to enable cinema to reach an ever-expanding audience. “With its beautiful nature and vibrant culture, Goa provides the perfect backdrop to host the IFFI. I am sure that Goa will spur the creative imagination of the participants, inspiring them to come up with new ideas to help cinema expand its outreach to an ever-growing audience.”

The Prime Minister wishes the 53rd edition of IFFI to be a resounding success.

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Get inspired by 'Dhabari Quruvi', the tale of the rise of a tribal phoenix from the ashes #IFFIwood

IFFI 53 presents the first feature film in Indian film history to have a star cast comprising only indigenous people

Tanveer Mir

She rises from the ashes, to fearlessly proclaim the exclusive right she has on her body and the decisions involving it. Yes, you would not want to miss the chance to be inspired, by the elevating story of girls belonging to a tribal community in Kerala.

The fascinating story is brought to us by 'Dhabari Quruvi', the first film in the history of Indian cinema to star only people from indigenous communities. Directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Priyanandan, the film also has the distinction of having been shot completely in the tribal language of Irula.

The film is being presented at the 53rd edition of the International Film Festival of India, which is set to open in Goa on 20th November, 2022. And yes, the 104-minute-long feature film is all set to have its world premiere in the Indian Panorama section of IFFI.

Portrayal of indigenous people in Indian cinema has often been criticised for its failure to look beyond stereotypes. Amidst a cinematic tradition and culture which may not have done justice to the true identity and culture of tribal peoples, Dhabari Quruvi is expected to stand out as a candle spreading founts of newfound hope and inspiration. Set against the background of tribal rituals and culture, the film invites viewers to join the tempestuous journey of a tribal girl as she battles convention and seeks to free herself from the chains with which society had tied her lot.

In Irula language, Dhabari Quruvi means 'a sparrow with an unknown father'. The mythological bird, which is part of the tribal folklore, captures the untold tales of the unseen people who suffer quietly, who yearn to break the shackles of injustice, whose agonies and struggles the film seeks to bring to light.

So, who are the actors who bestow the film with the honour of having a unique star cast? They are around sixty people, belonging to Irula, Muduka, Kurumba and Vaduka tribal communities of Attappadi, a scheduled tribe hamlet of the southern Indian state of Kerala. Quite a few of them had not ever seen a film in their entire life.

The actors were selected from an acting workshop conducted at Attappadi in which around 150 people participated. Meenakshi, Shyamini, Anuprasobhini and Muruki play main roles in the film. The cast also includes Nanjiyamma, the tribal woman from Attappady who got the 68th National Film Award for Best Female Singer last year.

Dhabari Quruvi has bagged URF world record for being the only feature film starring only tribals. The film has also been selected to the International Film Festival of Kerala.

Producer: Ajith Vinayaka Films, Aevas Visual Magic Private Limited

Screenplay: Priyanandanan, Kuppuswamy M, Smitha Sailesh, K.B. Hari and Lijo Panadan.

Cinematographer: Aswaghoshan

Editor: Ekalavyan

Don't miss this unique film at IFFI 53. It is set to touch delegates’ hearts on November 24, 9.30 AM onwards, @ INOX Panjim Audi 2.

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'In 100 years, all these antiquities will be gone'

Cop27 opens in Egypt Climate crisis is still taboo subject at art and heritage institutions. As the latest UN Climate Change Conference opens in Egypt, art institutions have yet to take the climate lessons to heart

Pritish Bagdi

Daniel Fleck

On 6 November, the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference, Cop27, opens in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The location is telling: never before has a Cop summit taken place in a country so intimately connected to ancient antiquities, from the pyramids to the Sphinx and the tomb of Tutankhamun, all of which face growing threats from harsher weather, hotter temperatures and rising seas. Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s former minister of state for antiquities affairs, warns that virtually all open-air archaeological sites in Egypt are at serious risk. “In my view, in 100 years, all these antiquities will be gone because of climate change,” he says. At Cop27, delegates will consider whether museums should move away from their historic position of “climate neutrality” and towards climate action. But is the debate still necessary? In 2021 the American Alliance of Museums commissioned a study that found museums ranked second only to friends and family as a trusted source, and significantly ahead of scientists, NGOs, the media, the government and businesses. Should this store of trust be deployed for the common good? Robert Janes is a researcher at the School of Museum Studies in Leicester and was editor-in-chief of the Museum Management and Curatorship journal from 2003 to 2014. In the online publication The Beam, he writes: “Why is the global museum community not confronting climate change with its collective will and intelligence? One explanation is that climate change is a taboo subject—not to be talked about with family, friends and colleagues.” This taboo must be demolished. “Radical changes are needed across society to ensure global heating remains below 1.5°C,” says Rodney Harrison, the professor of heritage studies at University College London. “Museums could play a leading role in these transformations, but they can only do so if they make significant changes to the way they operate and communicate.” “The frustrating thing is—this is all already agreed,” says Henry McGhie, founder of climate consultancy Curating Tomorrow. “The governments of all the countries that are party to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change [UNFCCC] and Paris Agreement already recognise this. They have adopted a new programme, but this doesn’t seem to have bled down to the workings of many museums. We have a golden opportunity to act on climate change as a sector, but we’re not making use of it.” Beyond the Cop summits, the UN also played host to Mondiacult (the Unesco World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development) in Mexico City this September. Held 40 years after the first Mondiacult conference, it focused purely on Unesco’s cultural policy, and how that relates to globally agreed sustainable development and climate change policies.

Powerful signal Speaking at Mondiacult, Audrey Azoulay, the director-general of Unesco, recognised that “despite progress, culture still does not have the place it deserves in public policies and international cooperation,” even though it plays a “fundamental role” in our lives. She welcomed the Mondiacult decision that culture should be included “as a specific objective in its own right” among the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. It was, she said, “a powerful signal” and “a commitment to action.” Ernesto Ottone Ramirez, Unesco’s assistant director-general for culture and a former culture minister for Chile, told The Art Newspaper: “All ministers agreed we should leverage culture as part of sustainable development and environmental issues.” However, some commentators believe Mondia­cult could have done much more. “It asked for culture to be operationalised in the UNFCCC, but that already exists,” says McGhie. “Rather than expecting other policy areas to change to incorporate culture, cultural policy should be much more overt about its role in existing agreements. This is a typical situation where policy development is not backed up with clear action.” A new definition for museums was agreed at the annual meeting of the International Council of Museums in Prague in August 2022. Climate action was not included in the definition. The debate, then, continues, even as the pyramids crumble.

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