An image from Golda Sellam’s first visit to Kerala a few years ago is still fresh in her mind. At one of the venues of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), she saw a crowd of youngsters moving around someone, like a swarm of bees. Amazed, she asked the person next to her about it. “Don’t worry, It’s Kim Ki Duk”, came the answer.
From being a member of the jury back then, Ms. Sellam, a film consultant, programmer and producer based in France, is now coming back as a special curator of the 28th edition of the IFFK, set to begin here on Friday.
“The first time I was here, I was amazed by the sheer number of people in theatres, and by the cinema knowledge of the audience. I have had conversations with students, who made extremely precise comments on films and comparisons between filmmakers. I think the IFFK is one of the best film festivals in India for film lovers to discover new talent from all over the world,” says Ms. Sellam, in an interview to The Hindu, after her arrival in the capital on Wednesday.
