Film screening: Vettaikku Oru Magan (A Son for Hunting)
Kavita Joshi
Vettaikku Oru Magan (A Son for Hunting)
53 min. DV. Musical. 2008 by Soudhamini
At IIC, Lodi Estate, New Delhi
on 9th April at 6.30 PM
ENTRY IS FREE. ALL ARE WELCOME.
In the Indian epic Mahabharata, the tribal hunter Ekalavya is made to
forfeit his thumb to establish prince Arjuna’s supremacy in archery.
The film re-interprets this story to suggest that Ekalavya surrendered
his thumb in a conscious act of disarmament, resulting in greater
ecological balance in the world of tribals. Subsequently Arjuna
himself, realizing the futility of war at the end of his life,
emulates Ekalavya’s gesture, abdicating wordly glory to attain peace
and fullness. This video employs performance idioms from Kerala
including Koodiyattam, Arjuna Nrityam, Ottanthullal Ganam and
Kathakali to convey the story without resorting to dialogue, thus
exploring the immense potential of cinema as a visual art.
Featuring
Margi Madhu,
Kurichi Nadesan, Kalamandalam C.K. Gopinathaprabha and others
Supported by The Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development,
Netherlands.
‘Soudhamini has created a film where image, imagery and suggestion
combine in a unique way … the viewer leaves the auditorium with a
strong imprint on the mind.’
The Hindu, Chennai
© Quicksilverfilms 2008
quicksilverfilm AT gmail.com