An Indian film about seven nuns and a divorcee has won the first prize at the 25th International Catholic Film Festival held at Niepokalanow, near Warsaw in Poland. The movie Nurunguvettangal (“gems of light”) by Leo Thaddeus from Kerala in south India, was among 172 films and 40 radio programs from 20 countries scrutinized at the three-day festival that ended May 30, said a report on CathNews India.
The 56-minute film, in Malayalam with English subtitles about seven nuns with their issues of attachments, boredom, conservatism, prejudice, workaholism, desires and fears, used a high degree of symbolism in photography, music, dialogue and art work, the jury noted.
“I do not want to label it a Christian film but as a film that looks deep into the convent life of certain human characters,” says Thaddeus.
This movie came on television recently and I had a chance to watch it. I really loved the story line and the way all things were pictured in this short movie. It will surely touch your heart.
Though the nine-member jury did not find any film fit for third prize in the feature film category, they made special mention of two films by Indian directors, the report adds. They were: the festival opening film in English entitled The Last Appeal, a story of St Faustina of the Divine Mercy devotion by Fr. Bala Udumala; and To My Beloved Teacher, a Malayalam film with English subtitles by Salesain Father Jiji Kalavanal, based in Kerala.
