Review of In thunder, lightning and rain a documentary by Rajesh James
In the clamorous noise of carnival, the glimpse of three smiles catch the eyes of viewers that tell a long threshold of stories. The documentary, In thunder, lightning and rain, an excellent work by the Kochi based documentary maker and film researcher Rajesh James, takes the audience to a different arena of life. The documentary takes you to the lives of three women who fought the odds of their life with valour and will. Seena C.V the footballer, Ammini Amma the fisher and Selina Michael the cremator, tell their story and the camera captures it beautifully and responsibly.
The film starts from the shot of Kochi new year carnival where the three women came to witness and be part of it. They express their joy to share the vast space of celebration, joy and togetherness that is contradictory to their lives and circumstances. The women unveil their story in the form of answers to the questions asked by the crew. The realistic portrayal of the life and emotions of the three, who fought to create a space of their own, in the society which always ridiculed the unique persons, makes the film a genuinely skilled work.
The narrative sequence begins with section Thunder that shows Seena C. V the only woman football coach in Kochi. The determination sparked in her narration attracts the audience. The second section named Rain shows Ammini Amma, a fisher and folksinger who talks in Universities about agriculture, farming and folk culture. Lightning, the third section introduces Selina Michel, the cremator of thrikkakkara crematorium who had cremated near 4000 dead bodies.
All the three are unique and special in stereotypical world of humans and that's why the film compare them to the witches in Shakespearean drama. They represent the desire to live life inspite of any adversity. Their perspective towards life and simplicity in living an unusual life deserve appreciation from hearts. The film captures real smiles, real worries and real strength of these women who fight and survive their obstacles will courage and determination. The documentary returns to the carnival in the end as the three women witness the burning of Pappanji and welcome a newyear.
The way of presentation and selection of concept deserve appreciation but the gem of the matter is that the film never forces any of the viewer to realize or appreciate the three. They are heros, it is not to be said, but felt. The viewer feels the struggle, the gains, the loses, the smiles, the sadness and the pride of the three immensely strong willed women.
The film was produced by Preeya Nair and K.C Abraham. Jibin Jose did a fantastic work in cinematography and Lithin Paul was the editor. The documentary was premiered at Ppeloponnisos International Documentary Festival at Kalamata, Greece on January 24, 2018.
Thank you.
