R Balakumaran
Founder of Avant Garde Film Society and an aspiring independent film maker
Balakumaran says youngsters are familiar with names like Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan. “They see cinema as entertainment. We are taking baby steps to promote film culture and film appreciation so more people see cinema as art. Several online streaming sites such as mubi.com and tao-films.com offer a choice of experimental films.”
Balakumaran picks:
Iranian film Castle of Dreams directed by Reza Mirkarimi I saw this film at IFFK 2019 in Trivandrum. It explores fatherhood and its responsibilities, in a delicate manner leaving you emotional.
Palestinian film It Must Be Heaven directed by Elia Suleiman It pays tribute to the Masters of the silent film era like Chaplin and Buster Keaton. It is philosophical, political… done with great humour
Portuguese film Vitalina Varela by Pedro Costa It is about death, colonialism, female hardship and faith. It leaves the interpretation to the viewer. Viewers who enjoy the films of Andrei Tarkovsky and Federico Fellini will savour the experience
French films: Les Miserables directed by Ladj Ly and Synonyms by Nadav Lapid Les Miserable is a political satire and has a documentary-like mise en images, Synonyms is also talked about for its political views and an electrifying performance by Tom Mercier. A basic understanding of French political history would add value to the viewing experience. Most of these films are new experiments in narrative, and follow non-linear screenplay and touch upon political subtexts in a subtle way.
Sujith DH
Made a series of horror/comic short films for his YouTube channel Minutes movies. His first short film Manidhargal, an action-thriller, highlighted Chinese martial arts. Sujith also made a documentary called Riding Through The Rain of a road trip he took in the monsoons with his biker friend Sumanth Nagaraja.
Sujith picks
Nadigan, directed by P Vasu It has terrific pair of actor Sathyaraj and comedian Goundamani. One laughs all through the film.
Michael Madana Kaama Rajan, directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao It is a technically brilliant film supported by Kamal Hassan’s fine acting. Besides the top-notch camera and editing finesse, not once do you feel it is the same Kamal Hassan playing four roles!
Vikram directed by Rajasekhar This movie is timeless. I love how the great action takes the story forward. The song ‘Vikram, Vikram….’ has an electronic voice interlude and has amazing choreography which is a real treat to watch.
Inaindha kaigal directed by NK Vishwanathan for its action-driven story. The film also proved that action needn’t always be about brawls and car chases.
Ullathai Allitha directed by Sundar C Actor Goundamani steals the show. It is a trendsetter. Dialogues from this movie, especially Goundamani Sir’s lines bring on the laughs even today. It’s a masterpiece performance from him.
Ajith Ashok
His three-minute film Maatharam addressed women’s issues and featured Jyoti Kisange Amge, the world’s shortest living woman. Ajith plans to develop Maatharam as a full-length feature film. “Right now I am focussing on scripting the movie. I want my first feature film to be a hard-hitting one. And, I thought issues faced by women needs urgent attention, especially in the current times when you hear of rape and domestic violence.”
Ajith picks
The Shawshank Redemption directed by Frank Darabont The prison drama particularly for its story and the performances of Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. One of the greatest films made in the 1990s, it is broadcast even now regularly as it is culturally, historically and aesthetically significant
Godfather (part 1) by Francis Ford Coppola Is there any filmmaker who hasn’t been inspired by the Godfather franchise? I keep going back to it, as one of the greatest and influential films in the gangster genre, just to watch the performances of the ensemble cast of Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. Every time, there is something new to takeaway from the movie.
Pulp fiction by Quentin Tarantino It is a masterpiece from one of the greatest film makers. The unconventional structure, the screenplay, the pop culture....every single element in this film leaves you awestruck
Forrest Gump directed by Robert Zemeckis Besides Tom Hank’s performance, the film stands out for its extensive visual effects. There is comedy, sadness... magic. A must see for anyone who loves cinema.
The White Balloon (Iranian) directed by Jafar Panahi Iranian dramas always leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling. This charming Iranian children’s drama is a reminder to focus on the simplest pleasures of life that are often the most satisfying.
Most of the films listed above are available on online streaming platforms
