Indian Film 'Monkey Play' Joins Vancouver Festival's New Works-in-Progress Program
Don Palathara's upcoming film 'Monkey Play' has been selected for the Vancouver Film Festival's new Business Hub Works-in-Progress program, which showcases up to eight feature-length projects in final production stages. The story follows a couple grieving their daughter's death who take in a feral child they find in the forest. The film is set in Kerala, India.
The selection places Palathara's project among a limited group of up to eight features chosen for the festival's newly launched Business Hub program, which targets films nearing completion. His prior works, including "1956, Central Travancore" and "Family," have established him as a distinctive voice in Indian independent cinema, and this new project continues his exploration of intimate human relationships within Kerala settings. The narrative centers on Sethu and Nikita, a couple coping with their daughter's death who take in a feral child discovered in the forest, a premise that examines grief through the lens of an unconventional family dynamic. Set in the hill region of Idukki, the film draws on the specific cultural and geographical textures of Kerala to ground its emotional story.
This selection may raise the film's international profile, potentially connecting it with distributors and festival programmers seeking distinctive global narratives. For audiences, the story's focus on grief and unexpected caregiving could resonate broadly, offering a culturally specific yet universally accessible exploration of loss. The program's existence may also signal growing industry interest in supporting films at a vulnerable production stage, which could benefit other independent filmmakers seeking visibility.