IDSFFK 2025: ‘Rewritten’ Explores Generational Struggles and Self-Salvation

Rapid Summary:

• Film Overview: Rewritten by Yara Naisam premiered in the Malayalam Non-Competition Short Fiction category at the 17th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK). It is an 11-minute short film exploring themes of self-agency and internal empowerment.
• Plot Theme: The film examines how women often limit themselves due to inherited self-restrictions passed down generationally. It challenges customary narratives like waiting for “Prince Charming” and advocates for finding strength within oneself.
• Key Characters & Roles: The female protagonist, played by Karuna Pious, showcases internal struggles. Gayatri Paulson plays a convincing mother figure. Animation crafted by Karuna Pious adds depth through metaphors.
• Director’s Insight: Yara Naisam, a student at the National Institute of design (NID), Ahmedabad, drew inspiration from childhood stories that influenced her worldview. She emphasizes intentionality in cinema production and reveals insights learned during this semester project.
• Production Details: Filmed over three days with a week of ideation as part of Yara’s academic work.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

Rewritten innovatively addresses stereotypical portrayals of women in fairytales by proposing alternate narratives rooted in self-realization rather than external rescue-a perspective relevant to contemporary discussions on gender roles in India. By delving into generational impacts on women’s agency, it prompts introspection about cultural conditioning within Indian families.

The utilization of animation metaphorically conveys complex emotions and adds richness to the medium despite time constraints during production. This debut serves as a strong foundational piece for Yara Naisam’s directorial journey, reflecting evolving aspirations among India’s youth-driven creative industry.

The depiction highlights broader societal shifts where traditional symbols-in this case, ‘Prince Charming’-are reassessed critically against modern values like autonomy and empowerment within homegrown storytelling frameworks.

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