A reflection of society

Aneez K. Mappila is not too vocal about his National Award-winning feat. All that matters for him is to continue making good films. After his documentary The Slave Genesis won the Best Anthropological Documentary Film award, Aneez feels he has more responsibility to make good films that common people could relate to, especially the oppressed. He also feels people should not categorise his film as just an anthropological one. The Slave Genesis is a documentary film on Paniya, an aboriginal group in Kerala’s Wayanad district, directed and shot by Aneez. The film is also a recollection of Aneez’s memories of his childhood spent in his ancestral home in Kalpetta. “Even though I am an outsider to the Paniya community, I have been seeing them from my childhood and know their culture well. The documentary goes on with a funeral ceremony along with a , which is a post-death ritual in the Paniya community, recited by Athali the intoner.”

He adds, “Rarely do people from the outside world get a chance to witness a funeral ceremony of the Paniya community. When I had the chance, I decided to add this into my film. I felt it was very striking.” The film showcases some monologues without much dialogue. The use of natural sounds is another notable feature and even the silence played a big role. “Athali takes no break from reciting Penapattu from dusk till dawn. This culture is very unique. Their traditions and societal codes are different. Mainstream society has never tried to understand these people who are the largest tribal group in Kerala,” he says.

They have been struggling for existence in their homeland. The struggle is between the real owners and the land encroachers; this film searches for the answers. It also focuses on how the community that is intrinsically connected with nature ended up as a clan of slaves? How did the outside world start to exploit them?

Aneez is happy to be honored with the award but he is not done and is here to stay and deliver the best in future. Some of his short films and documentaries have already been critically acclaimed and won awards. He is busy with some new projects.

The Slave Genesis was produced with support from DOCEDGE-Bang, crowd funding from the Kalpetta Film Fraternity and his own Canopy Black production.