Rajasree had a somewhat busy last three days. After completing her tasks and preparing breakfast for her family, she would leave her house at nine in the morning. She would make sure to be at the Kairali-Sree theatre complex in plenty of time to secure a seat for the day's first screening.
Only after the final performance of the evening would the suburban housewife depart the theatre. The third Women's International Film Festival, which ended on Monday, was a success thanks to women like her.
“I watched as many films as possible and it was an enjoyable experience,” she says. “The ₹300 I spent on the delegate pass was more than worth it. I liked most of the foreign films I watched. And I liked the Malayalam film Nishiddho too.”
There were other Malayalam feature films by first-time female directors besides Nishiddho, including ones by Aisha Sultana and Mini I.G. Additionally, there were several excellent foreign films, such Clara Sola (Costa Rica). Most of the performances drew packed audiences.
Women made up a sizable portion of the audience at the festival, which included solely films directed by women. But in Kerala, it's still uncommon to see a lady go to the cinema by herself. Mayor Beena Philip had mentioned an incident at a local theatre in her statement at the festival's opening ceremony. The man at the ticket window responded, "Only one?" as she asked for one ticket.
These festivals are crucial for Kozhikode, a city that rarely has the opportunity to organise such significant cultural occasions.
The celebration was not without controversy, though. A few days prior to the inaugural event, Kunjila Mascilamani had protested the exclusion of a movie she had made. In support of Kunjila, director Vidhu Vincent pulled her film from the festival.
