Filmmaker Don Palathara grew up listening to stories his grandfather would narrate—of people, including his own family, who migrated from Kerala’s Kottayam district to Idukki in the 1950s. For those who belonged to the period of his grandparents, it was not a trip to a picturesque hill station, but a raw connect with nature in all its wildness and the pursuit of a better future. It is this rawness that Palathara brings on to the screen with his third film – 1956, Central Travancore.
Palathara and his team are on a high as the film is set for its world premiere at the 42nd edition of the Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF) in October. The team, however, will not be able to witness the screening due to travel restrictions in place amid the pandemic.
1956, Central Travancore was screened at the Film Bazaar at the 50th International Film Festival in Goa in December last year.
Written and directed by Palathara, the film is set in the period before the land reforms in Kerala and tells the story of two brothers Kora and Onan who are early migrants to Idukki. The prospect of earning large fortunes intrigues the brothers to go on a gaur hunting venture – an event that plays a pivotal role in the film. Assif Yogi and Jain Andrews essay Kora and Onan respectively. The movie also features Kani Kusruti, Shaun Romy and Krishnan Balakrishnan.
A period film, 1956, Central Travancore, makes ample use of narration to engage with the viewers and draw them into the culture, art and lore of that region and time. “There are stories about each of the characters to be passed on – their personal stories, dreams versus their internal struggles and of a tug-of-war with nature,” Palathara says. The film employs not only the cinematic techniques that resonate with the psyche of the people of that period, but also music, arts, belief systems, stories and lifestyle, he says.
The film is shot in black and white, just like his critically acclaimed previous outings Shavam (The Corpse) and Vith (Seed). Speaking of his choice to leave out the colour element in a film shot in surrealistic forest regions of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Palathara says he wanted people to focus on the people on the screen. “There is a lot going on on-screen and in the characters’ minds; there should not be other elements of distraction,” he says, adding that the viewer will not miss anything in terms of visual beauty even if colour has been omitted. The team has employed deep focus and wide-angle shots to improve the viewing experience.
Palathara says he is always focused on people’s stories. That is evident in both his earlier works—while Shavam was centred around family and friends at a young man’s funeral, Vith told the story of a father-son relationship and their internal struggles. Shavam, which released in 2015, with the help of alternative cinema platform Cinema Vandi, is currently streaming on Netflix.
Though 1956, Central Travancore is Palathara’s first film that was planned for a theatrical release, the pandemic has put those plans on hold for now.
Palathara is currently working on his next film, featuring actress Rima Kallingal.
