Restored ‘Amma Ariyan’, John Abraham’s cult classic, set for cannes world premiere
Mumbai: Amma Ariyan, the 1986 Malayalam film by Kerala filmmaker John Abraham, will have its restored world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16.
The film, restored by the not-for-profit Film Heritage Foundation, is the only Indian feature selected for world premiere at the festival this year.
Shot in 16mm and hailed as a landmark of independent cinema, Amma Ariyan — meaning ‘Report to Mother’ — follows a young man’s journey across Kerala to inform a mother of her son’s death. Made with a largely non-professional cast and crowdfunded by villagers, the film became a cult classic for its raw style and political urgency.
Director John Abraham, a key figure in Kerala’s avant-garde film movement, died in 1987. The film was long available only in poor-quality prints.
The Film Heritage Foundation, founded by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, undertook the restoration in collaboration with John Abraham’s family and the original cinematographer. The 4K restoration was done from the surviving 16mm camera negative and sound negative at L’Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna.
“This film represents the spirit of truly independent filmmaking in India,” Dungarpur said. “To take it to Cannes in its restored form is a tribute to John and to a generation of filmmakers who worked outside the system.”
Amma Ariyan will screen in the Cannes Classics section, which showcases restored masterworks and documentaries on cinema. The premiere on May 16 will be attended by members of the restoration team and actors from the original cast.
