Every major transformation in any sector leaves behind quite a few who struggle to cope with the drastic changes. So it is with cinema too, the distribution and viewing methods of which have changed unrecognisably in recent years.
With digital distribution of content directly to theatres, people who were working in the traditional distribution sector suddenly became irrelevant. Sanu Kummil’s documentary Cinemapetti (Film Reel Box), screened at the 13th International Documentary and Short Film Festival (IDSFFK), chronicles the life of a person who was left behind in the inevitable march of technology.
Nizar was one of the hundreds of workers across the State who used to take the heavy boxes containing the film reels from the major release centres to the ‘C’ class centres in the villages. For 14 years till 2000, until the theatres in the villages began closing down, he used to cycle as much as 50 kilometres carrying the film reels, often reaching just in time for the show.
“In my village, there was only one theatre for us to watch films. Nizar was the one who used to bring reels to the theatre. We used to wait in anticipation for his arrival with the latest reel. When cinema distribution and screening technologies were updated, quite a few like him lost their jobs and ended up taking up jobs like that of securities in hotels and flats. Usually, when we talk or write about the history of Malayalam cinema, it is usually about the filmmakers or stars. We tend to forget people like Nizar who sweated it out to ensure that these films reach the public on time. In this documentary, I have placed Nizar as a representative of all of them,” says Sanu, who made his debut in 2018 with the film Oru Chaya Kadakkarante Mann ki bath, which won the best documentary award in 11th IDSFFK.
Sanu uses the first few minutes of the documentary to give a basic idea of Malayalam cinema’s history, from the handful of movies made in the early 1950s to the explosion of films in the late 1960s, and the later transformations through the 1990s and 2000s.
Nizar speaks at length about the struggles of cycling long distances with the heavy reel boxes, the fears of transporting it at night and the tight deadlines of the whole job. Though the wages were just about decent, it was enough for the daily needs of his family.
With the closing down of most ‘C’ class centres in the villages and the shift to digital distribution, he has been making ends meet with a lottery selling business and as a headload worker.
