Madurai Summer Film Festival, India
May 4, 2009
PDF What: Summer Film Festival – 2009
When: May 6-8, 2009; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m IST (GMT +5.30)
Where: The American College, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
Inaugural film: “Nee Yaar” [Tamil / English]
A documentary film on Tamil writer Sundara Ramasamy
Directed by R.V.Ramani
Closing film: “Your’s Truly John” [Malayalam with English subtitles]
A documentary about filmmaker John Abraham
Directed by Sarat Chandran
Organized by:
Marupakkam, in association with Department of Visual Communication, The American College, Madurai and Yadartha Film Society
Yours Truly, John
Synopsis
This film is about John Abraham (1937-1987), a Malayalam film director and writer. It throws life on the personality and work of John Abraham through interviews with people from various walks of life including his relatives, colleagues, other film makers, critics, writers, actors, activists and common people who were associated with him during his lifetime.
Considered a revolutionary film director and writer, he made only four films, namely Vidyarthikale Ithile Ithile(1972), Agraharathil Kazhuthai (1977, Tamil), Cheriachante Krurakrithyangal (1979) and Amma Ariyan (1986). Through interviews with prominent film critics and cultural activists, the film explores the various dimensions of these films.
It was under the leadership of John Abraham that Odessa Collective came to existence in 1984 with a street drama in Fort Kochi named Nayakali. Odessa was an attempt by a group of movie enthusiasts to change the history of film production and distribution by making it a collaborative effort with the public and thus act as an empowering and liberating medium. Their first film, Amma Ariyan, was produced with contributions from the general public.
Varous people speak about the experiences of Odessa film collective and the philosophy underlying that movement. The film also discusses John Abraham’s contributions as a writer of short stories and his many ideas for films which he could not realize. Yours Truly, John also discusses the cult following that John has among the Malayali intelligentsia.Script,
India/2008/100 Mins/Malayalm-English Sub-titled/B&W-Colour