Malayalam filmmakers need to explore the psyche of their characters in depth: IFFK 2023 curator Golda Sellam

Golda Sellam, the curator of the 28th International Film Festival of Kerala, said she feels Malayalam filmmakers need to explore the psychological aspect of characters in better depth to transform their work to a gobal cinema as they have the potential. The French film producer, in an exclusive interview with Onmanorama, also called for Malayalam women to collaborate with European counterparts and production houses to give their works a bigger avenue.

“I think Malayalam filmmakers make good films but there are some weak points in terms of narration. It's probably due to the script. What I found, not in all the films, but in general, is that the psychological aspect of the character is not developed enough. We can see the outside of the character, but not the inside. And what is very interesting is the inside. I think a filmmaker can reach a wide audience if they can express what is invisible to the audience, she said.

Golda also spoke about the selection process and the feedback she has received from the audience so far. “I received great feedback from delegates who come to see me. They say, listen, I saw this film, it's really good. They also ask for watching suggestions. A lot of them are quite eager to discover new talents, and filmmakers that they never heard about.” she said. And added that it is encouraging for the curator and for upcoming filmmakers.

She spoke about the film selection process at this year’s IFFK. “This year’s IFFK was country focused We had to select films from South America, Africa, and Asia. In terms of cinema, some of these countries are not so prolific, yet we try to find the best young talent and filmmakers that can be presented as the best production of 2023,” she said.

When asked if this is the process they undergo, every time, she said: “You need to follow all the festivals to consider various films and to identify talents. Some films that premiere at the Cannes, are not shown in Venice. Those films that don’t make it to Cannes, because of the window period, will be shown in Venice or Berlin. Many films have their premier at Cannes, Venice and Berlin. Then there is a second range of film festivals that allow you to showcase films that have already been shown at other festivals. One way of selecting films is to go to these festivals. Then we also see if the films have won prizes. If they get some prize, most of the time it's because they are good. You may not like them, but they are good,” she said.

She added that movies are curated based on how they reflect what's happening in society. “I think most of the filmmakers want to express their thoughts about society, conflict, love, or family relationships. And it's how we can see stories which could appeal to us and also appeal to many other people. Cinema is a mirror of the society,” she said.

While speaking about the representation of women filmmakers and actors in France, Golda also spoke about how women directors in Kerala have a voice and how they can benefit if they collaborate with Europe. “Their voices are strong and they know what they want. So, I think it will come along. And if it does, it will also maybe come along more if we do some collaboration with Europe. “I associated with Indian filmmaker Alka Raghuram for the movie ‘Burqa Boxers’, which is about a young Muslim girl who learns to fight to protect themselves from rape and other aspects. The voice was of an Indian filmmaker. So, I believe there will be more filmmakers,” she said.