The news of the Malayalam film titled ‘2018’ making its entry to the Oscars did not come as a surprise. The film captured the agony, hardship, and survival of a large population of a small Indian state called Kerala during the monsoon mayhem of 2018.
This is probably the only film on a commercial scale that depicts the cruel face of the climate change disaster that shook Kerala. A state that sees rains at least 9 months of the year, naturally has a lot of checks and balances in place to address floods. But what was witnessed in the year 2018 was unprecedented.
What also came to the forefront was the resilience of the people of the state, and how an organized, decentralized official system can quickly and efficiently respond to a natural calamity. Especially of importance played by segments of society who have core expertise in handling water. That is the fisherman community, which moved their fibre boats for rescue operations within no time. How technology helped zero down on stranded people, irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, or skin colour. Only the value of human life stood tall.
Malayalam cinema has created a unique identity for itself. For its selection of stories, rare treatment, narrative, budget, etc. While many of the films from this small (by size) industry are commercially successful, the reach has been limited to the Malayalam-speaking audience. The exceptions started with the onset of OTT, and these films reached a broader audience. A brilliant example is the film 2018: produced at a cost of Rs 30, it clocked Rs 200 at the box office!
While climate distress is dangerous and results in losses, it also unites people and the community as a whole. WriteCanvas wishes the director and all who worked in the movie ’2018’, the best and success at the Oscars.
