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Prakriti: Arts Festival Bridges Past & Future
29 Oct
Summary
- Festival explores culture's role in memory and human-nature relations.
- Focuses on ecology, cultural inheritance, and survival through art.
- Features restored films and an exhibition on Kerala's reading heritage.
The India International Centre's annual festival, 'The IIC Experience: A Festival of the Arts', commences on October 29, 2026, with a central theme of 'Prakriti: Ecology and Existence'. This year's event delves into the intricate relationship between ecology, cultural inheritance, and human survival, exploring these through various artistic expressions.
The festival's 'Stories on Screen' program, supported by film archives, will screen 13 films. This selection spans Hindi, regional Indian, and Hollywood cinema, examining ecological anxieties and film history. It features diverse approaches to nature, from the spectacle of 'Jurassic Park' to the elemental rhythms of 'The Red Turtle'.
Additionally, the festival highlights restored cinematic treasures like 'Umrao Jaan' and 'In Which Annie Gives it Those Ones', offering fresh perspectives on films where performance and setting are crucial. It also includes classics such as 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro', a satire on corruption.
An exhibition titled 'Palms and Parchment: Keralam's Heritage of Reading and Relics' opens on October 30, showcasing Kerala's literary inheritance through manuscripts and artworks. This leads into a discussion on 'The Written Word and Social Progress: How Kerala Achieved 100% Literacy' on October 31.
Pooyam Thirunal Gouri Parvathi Bayi of the Travancore Royal Family is the chief guest, emphasizing the festival's expansive view of heritage as a living record of societal adaptation and imagination.
