Director Don Palathara's Family, a critically acclaimed Malayalam film produced by Newton Cinema, is set to be screened at the 14th Bengaluru International Film Festival in the Indian Panorama section, marking its Indian premiere.
The film, which stars Vinay Forrt, had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and has received praise for its nuanced performances, poetic cinematography, and thought-provoking themes that explore the complexities and contradictions of familial relationships in contemporary India.
The film is centred around a devout Christian, Sony, who has a do-gooder image in his local community. However, beneath his genial exterior lies something dark, and that is what the film examines. “This film diverges from conventional character studies by telling the tale of a man and his relationship with society,” says Palathara about the film.
“It also attempts to unravel the intertwining of two institutions – family and religion. The explored social system differs from the individualist, modern-day world as we know it. Here, family and its persistence become the first and only priority. A static, objective camera is employed for most of the film, and I have also used elliptical storytelling throughout,” he adds.
Family is Palathara’s sixth feature fiction. Several of his films have travelled to esteemed festivals including IFFR, Moscow IFF and IFF Kerala.
The film is written by Palathara and Sherin Catherine, with Jaleel Badusha serving as director of photography. The cast includes Divya Prabha, Nilja K Baby, Abhija Sivakala, Mathew Thomas, Jolly Chirayath, Manoj Panicker, Indira A.K., and Sajitha Madathil.
The BIFF will take place from March 23 to 28, 2023, with Family set to be screened alongside other notable contemporary Indian films in the Indian Panorama section.
