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Japanese film Evil Does Not Exist, directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, which poetically foregrounded ecological concerns in a fast-changing world won the Golden Crow Pheasant (Suvarna Chakoram) for the best film at the 28th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) that concluded here on Friday.
Yoshio Kitagawa, the film’s cinematographer, received the award which carries a cash prize of ₹20 lakh, memento, and certificate.
Uzbek filmmaker Shokir Kholikov won the Silver Crow Pheasant (Rajatha Chakoram) award for the best director for the film Sunday, a story of generational conflict in an Uzbek village. The film also won the Network for Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) award for the best Asian film.
Fazil Razak’s Thadavu (The Sentence), which effectively captured the desolation and isolation of a woman grappling with her dire existence, won big, taking home the Rajatha Chakoram award for the best film chosen through an audience poll as well as the Rajatha Chakoram for the best director. Mexican film All the Silence directed by Diego Del Rio won the special jury prize for sound design.
Chilean film Prison in the Andes directed by Filipe Carmona won the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Award for the best international film. Shruthi Sharanyam’s B 32 Muthal 44 Vare won the FIPRESCI award for the best Malayalam film of a debut director. Aattam directed by Anand Ekarshi won the NETPAC award for the best Malayalam film. Uttam Kamathi won the Federation of Film Societies of India’s K.R. Mohanan award for the best debut director from India for his film Kherwal.
Earlier, filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan presented the IFFK Lifetime Achievement Award to Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi.
“I am very moved and appreciate the fact that you presented me this award despite the fact that sometimes we differ in political views. It means that you believe that politics has its place in our life but art is beyond, or maybe above politics. Art is a means to analyse the human condition. Our humanity is now facing very dramatic changes. Modern technology like Artificial Intelligence may be a tool to save humanity and at the same time a tool to destroy it, and we must be cautious in its use. What can save humanity is love, truth, goodness,” said Zanussi in his acceptance speech.
Actor Prakash Raj, chief guest at the function, said it was always a joy to be in Kerala “for the warmth, for the love for the beliefs you have, and especially being the god’s own country that keeps god away from politics”.
Cuban Ambassador Alejandro Simancas Marin Ambassador, who was at the festival with a delegation of Cuban filmmakers, expressed hope that a delegation of filmmakers from Kerala would take part in the Havana international film festival. He also said Malayalam movies would be showcased to the Cuban people just like Cuban films were shown at the IFFK this year.
Chalachitra Academy Chairman Ranjith, Kerala State Film Development Corporation Chairman Shaji N.Karun, V.K.Prasanth, MLA, and Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat president D.Suresh Kumar presented the awards.
