IFFLA: The Golden Thread & Aattam
By Amani Kalla
This past weekend was the vibrant Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA). IFFLA screened a wide range of films ranging from documentaries to shorts all exploring different aspects of South Asian life. I watched two movies, the narrative feature Aattam and the documentary The Golden Thread, both of which left me stunned by their mastery of storytelling and technical filmmaking. The film festival was lively and welcoming, encouraging all in attendance to be enchanted by the world of Indian filmmaking.
One noteworthy film was Aattam, a narrative feature that explored how truths can be revealed. This Malayalam film follows a close-knit theatre troupe, comprised mostly of men, that has only one woman in it, called Anjali, whose safety is compromised when one night, one of the men sexually assaults her. Anand Ekarshi, in his debut film, explores this event with great nuance and intricacy, exploring how men attempt to take control of the narrative and speak for Anjali. Instead, she is pushed off into the sidelines as the men grapple with what to do with the mystery assaulter. This film beautifully captures the pursuit of truth and this seemingly noble action is twisted into something sinister by the men. This film leaves no one innocent in this acting troupe and highlights the everyday and casual sexism that pervades South Asian society.
Masterfully highlighting the absurdity of the situation with perfectly timed moments of humor, Ekarshi manages to create a sense of indignity within the viewer as well as curiosity to see the assaulter’s identity. The last scene specifically, with Anjali laughing at the end, emphasizes the idiocy of the men as they speak over Anjali’s desires and story. Focusing on the technical aspects, the film visually balances the seriousness of sexual assault with a mixture of beautiful cinematic shots of the surrounding nature and the intimacy of the group through close-ups and deep focus. It was this balance that made me truly enjoy the film as I was enveloped in the story due to the depth of character exploration in Aattam. The film uses understated cinematography and a lack of camera movement to create a sense of familiarity within the viewer that makes us confront our closemindedness. This is especially prevalent during the men’s negotiations in the middle of the film where the close shots and still camera made the audience feel like they were being included in this conversation about Anjali and the fate of the assaulter. Thus, this film became participative in its suspense as the audience also began to choose their suspect. The ending especially highlighted how the truth is subjective and does not come to light easily. Aattam is a film that leaves you pondering your prejudices as well as the fickle nature of truth, making it one of the best films of IFFLA.
Another amazing film that I had the pleasure of watching was The Golden Thread by Nishtha Jain, which is a documentary on the jute crisis in India, particularly in West Bengal. The documentary follows the Hukumchand mills and its workers through its current crisis and struggles as this once vibrant industry now fails. This film employs exceptional sound design and cinematography to create an extraordinary atmosphere that transcends the subject of the documentary and invokes a sense of longing within the viewer. The picture that it paints with ease tells not just the story of the workers, but also the machinery itself through the close-up of the machinery moving rhythmically. For the first portion of the film, the camera just moves inside the jute mill as if it is exploring for the first time without any words being spoken. The sense of curiosity and wonder is perfectly conveyed through the camera as it draws you into the world of jute mills. Despite this seemingly “dull” topic, the documentary envelops you fully through the breathtaking visuals and clever use of sound. The cacophony of the machinery as they work as well as the general clamor of the mills become part of the story that Nishtha Jain weaves in the documentary. Instead of music or words, the machinery tells us the story of the jute mills being one of the most successful industries in India to its unfortunate decay now. The ending imagery of the Hukumchand mill being empty of any machinery or people is a haunting one. The loss that I felt was a surprise to me as I didn’t even realize how much I cared for the survival of the jute mills. The Golden Thread was a film that lingered long in my mind and one that cannot be missed, both for its emotional story as well as awe-inspiring cinematography and mise-en-scene.
The two films featured were examples of masterful cinematography and filmmaking that must be watched and appreciated by a wider audience. Both Aattam and The Golden Thread explored different aspects of Indian culture that left me questioning my perspective and knowledge on these topics. Overall, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles was an unforgettable experience with enthusiastic people and excellent films and one that I will not forget anytime soon.