The critically acclaimed feature Parched will open an upcoming cinema and discussion package comprising works by women directors that will play out on the sidelines of the ongoing third edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB).
Titled ‘Indian Cinema: A Female Narrative’, the four-day package — specially curated by film editor Bina Paul — will examine behind-the-camera work by women in film industries across the country in both the historical and contemporary contexts.
Split into three debut directorial features and two documentaries, the package will be shown as part of the Kochi Biennale Foundation's ‘Artists’ Cinema’ programme. It will run from February 9 to12, with shows starting at 6.30 pm at the Pavilion in Cabral Yard.
Starting with Leena Yadav’s Parched (2015), the package will see screenings of Manjadikkuru (Lucky Red Seeds), the popular 2008 feature by Anjali Menon, and author-filmmaker Sreebala K. Menon’s short film Panthibhojanam (The Community Feast, 2009).
The documentaries are Beyond the Wheel (2005) — a nuanced look at activities, crafts and spaces traditionally barred to women, such as the titular potter’s wheel — by Rajula Shah and Madhusree Dutta’s musical documentary on the 12th century saint-poet Mahadevi Akka, Scribbles on Akka (2000).
