Acclaimed Indonesian filmmaker Garin Nugroho’s works will be screened under the Contemporary Filmmaker in Focus section at the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), to be held in the capital from December 12 to 19. Mr. Nugroho is regarded as one of the most influential voices in contemporary world cinema, particularly in Southeast Asia, with his films featured in almost all the major international festivals.
His films to be screened at the IFFK are Bird Man Tale, A Poet: Unconcealed Poetry, Samsara, Whispers in the Dabdas and Letter to an Angel.
Bird Man Tale, set against the socio-political backdrop of Indonesian province Papua’s vocal demand for independence, follows the story of 15-year-old Arnold, who pursues a girl he wishes to kiss.
On political prisoners
The narrative of A Poet: Unconcealed Poetry unfolds entirely within two prison cells and is shot completely in black and white. The film exposes the harsh reality faced by Indonesia’s political prisoners through the experiences of poet Ibrahim Kadir, imprisoned for alleged Communist sympathies. The film won the FIPRESCI Award at the 2001 Singapore International Film Festival and also received the Silver Leopard at Locarno.
