Abraham's 'Amma Ariyan' restored in 4K chosen for Cannes Classics
John Abraham's classic Malayalam film Amma Ariyan, freshly restored in 4K by the Film Heritage Foundation, has been picked for the Cannes Classics section at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
This marks five years in a row for Indian films making it to this prestigious lineup that celebrates iconic world cinema.
Pioneering style praised for 'Amma Ariyan'
Amma Ariyan broke ground back in 1986 with its black-and-white handheld style and mix of documentary and fiction, capturing the mood of India in the 1970s and 1980s.
Editor Bina Paul said restoring it was tough but worth it to bring Abraham's vision to new viewers.
Lead actor Joy Mathew shared that the film skipped standard theaters for public screenings, a bold move then.
Even Cannes Classics's head Gerald Duchaussoy called its visuals and political vibe some of the best he saw this year, cementing Amma Ariyan as a milestone in Indian cinema.