6 Malayalam films that stood out in IFFK this year

Here are six films to keep an eye out for as they become available to Indian audiences:

Aattam (The Play)

Director: Anand Ekarshi

Anand Ekarshi's Aattam has become a prominent subject of discussion within the Indian festival circuit this year, garnering praise from both critics and audiences at the IFFK. Honoured with the NETPAC award for the best Malayalam film, Aattam has also secured recognition at various international festivals, including the Indian film festival of Los Angeles and Jio Mami this year.

The film, which revolves around a theatre group, throws a spotlight on a woman actor grappling with a sexual assault that shatters her sense of security. There are two stark contrasts that mark her journey: a group of men convene to investigate the incident but their motives are murky, and there's the chilling indifference of a patriarchal society towards such trauma.

Aattam exposes the cracks in the façade of masculinity, revealing how men often hold sway even when their understanding falters. It delves into the men's dilemma of knowing when to stay silent, contrasting it with the systemic silencing of women's voices. The film starkly portrays the double standard – the relentless pressure on women to prove their experiences, the ease with which men escape the glare of scrutiny. Aattam is a powerful tapestry woven from the threads of courage, vulnerability, and the quest for justice in a world steeped in inequality.

Thadavu (The Sentence)

Director: Fazil Razak

Thadavu stood out as the notable Indian film of the festival, securing two prestigious awards. Fazil Razak, the director received the esteemed Rajata Chakoram for best debut director. Additionally, the film earned the coveted audience poll award.

Geetha, a play school teacher, is living alone and facing a harsh life. She is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. She is unable to avail the costly treatment. On learning that jail inmates get medical assistance from the state, Geetha hatches a plan to commit a crime. This is what the makers of the film wanted to give as a teaser to their work as a synopsis. Nevertheless, the film emerges as a remarkable depiction of a woman's life, transcending the ordinary, even when navigating the seemingly commonplace challenges of a lower-middle-class existence in Kerala.

The protagonist, who is around 50 years old, consistently finds herself entangled in a succession of crises, with the current one surpassing the severity of the preceding ones to the extent that overcoming it appears implausible. However, for this woman marked by the setbacks of two failed marriages and a string of unfortunate incidents — such as being unjustly accused of a child's death — the notion of yielding is not even a consideration.

Brought out by a collective of college friends who have dedicated the past few years to crafting various short films, this movie is exceptionally promising. Fazil Razak's writing and cinematic expression have become noteworthy highlights of discussions at the festival.

Family

Director: Don Palathara

Don Palathara's (known for the offbeat works like Shavam, 1956, Central Travancore, Everything Is Cinema and Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam) socially sensitive drama, Family intricately captures the micro-essence of a devout Christian community in Kerala. The movie exposes the contradictions and inconsistencies that breathe life into the tight-knit rural community in central Kerala. In this portrayal, intimate details of individuals' lives swiftly become public knowledge through undisclosed gossip networks, all the while uncomfortable truths are concealed under the guise of communal morality.

The main character, Sony, is a familiar figure in the community, always ready to lend a helping hand—whether it's attending funerals, volunteering at the request of the local parish priest, or willingly taking on the task of tutoring a friend's child struggling with mathematics. Official entry in this years’ Rotterdam festival, ‘Family’ delivers a chilling impact on the senses. It is a profoundly disquieting yet ultimately fulfilling encounter that commands your full attention.

Daayam (Inheritance)

Director: Prasanth Vijay

Daayam - Prasanth Vijay's sophomore film unfolds as a coming-of-age narrative cantered around a 16-year-old girl. The film revolves around her grieving process following the unexpected demise of her beloved mother. As the storyline develops, she discovers various facets about family dynamics, particularly regarding her father, who turns out to be vastly different from the man she had envisioned.

The movie attempts to scrutinise the role of the father figure and explores how the family dynamic takes on an eerie quality for a teenager. Prasanth's first film, Summer of Miracles, similarly explored the themes of death and bereavement, but with a much younger boy in the protagonist role. In a sense, the two movies can be viewed as thematically complementary to each other.

B 32 muthal 44 vare (B 32 TO 44)

Sruthi Saranyam

Shruthi Sharanyam’s B 32 to 44, (title refers to sizes of women's innerwear) which won the award for debutant Malayalam director, celebrates women who have ambitious aspirations, while simultaneously challenging gender stereotypes, biases, and discrimination. The six non-male characters (five women and a transperson in fact) stand as the focal point of the film while the male characters fulfil their roles effectively. According to many critics, the film is an insightful exploration of body politics, and is a commendable effort because it addresses a subject that has seldom been tackled in Malayalam cinema.

Funded by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation through the Women Directors' Project, the film has been released in select theaters in Kerala, garnering enthusiastic reviews.

Kaathal - The Core

Director: Jeo Baby

Jeo Baby’s Mammootty starrer Kaathal – The Core, was another Malayalam film that caught the attention of the festival crowd.

The film deals with the theme of a gay man living a 'respectable' family life with a wife and child, who comes out of the closet. This production has captured the interest of festival attendees. The film, already performing exceptionally well at the box-office, has received praise from numerous critics and has secured invitations to several international festivals.