‘Viraamam’ Turns the Lens on Kerala’s Fading Film Projectionists

A single line from Vincent Joseph, a projectionist at Radha Theatre in Kozhikode, captures the spirit of Viraamam (At Reel’s End): projectionists, he says, are like candles — audiences rejoice in the films they screen while they themselves slowly melt away.

The documentary by editor Malavika VN is being shown in the short documentary competition section of the 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Keralam (IDSFFK), under way in Thiruvananthapuram. Running 16 minutes, it turns its attention to the men who once ran Kerala’s cinema screens — those who adapted as technology changed, and those who left the profession for other reasons. Some speak of the world classics they watched from their projection rooms; one grows emotional as he holds the carbon rods of the 35mm projector he once operated.

The film began as Malavika’s final-year project while she was a visual communications student at St Joseph’s College, Bengaluru, a decade ago. Students were required to handle every department, from production and direction to editing, and she was unhappy with the result. It was only after she began working as an editor, she says, that she found the mental space to make sense of the footage and shape it into a story.

She later returned to the material with her husband, State award-winning filmmaker Goutham Soorya. The visuals were reworked from scratch and the film was re-edited into an entirely new piece. Malavika, whose editing credits include Madhura Manohara Moham and Vishesham, the web series Porul and Priyapettavan Piyush, as well as documentaries and music videos, notes that much has changed since the project was first made — including her own perspective on the process.

Her interest in projectionists grew out of an introduction by her teacher, Johnson Rajkumar, to the field of film preservation and restoration. She wanted to examine how technological change had affected their lives, which led her to take up the subject.

Recalling her meetings with projectionists in 2016-17, she says they welcomed her warmly into their workspaces. It was the first time anyone had come forward to learn about what they did, and they were overwhelmed. What stayed with her was the love and passion they brought to the job, an emotion she hoped audiences would share. Her aim was to evoke both nostalgia and a sense of loss, while also inspiring viewers to love the work they do.

Malavika has interned with the National Film Archives of India and later worked with the Film Heritage Foundation for two years.