Alps Koothadigal! Readers, what do you think? Does the name convey anything to you? Stop guessing... I will tell you what it is all about. 'Alps Koothadigal' is a documentary about
Sri Lankan refugees. To know more about this, I spoke to producer and director C
Annamalai.
Speaking about the title, he said 'Alps' relates to Switzerland, and since the documentary was shot in Switzerland and is a collection of
plays, the name 'koothadigal', was included. Hence the name 'Alps
Koothadigal'.
'Alps
Koothadigal' is a research on documentaries about Sri Lankan
Tamil theatre activities in Switzerland. According to Annamalai, the Sri Lankans stage dramas to express their views about the ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka and they have taken the drama medium as
plays have wide reach in the international arena. The refugees have good cooperation from the Swiss.
Some of the Swiss have also acted in the
plays. Some of the dramas are also in English and
German, so that many people can understand the life and migration of people from Sri Lanka to many other parts of the world. The
dramas were initially staged at places where a large number of people congregate. These dramas created an awareness among the Swiss about the Sri Lankan crisis.
The documentary showcases dramas including 'Iyo', 'Sri Salami', 'Pandavargalum Glowse Munivaram'. Asked about the production and direction of the documentary, Annamalai said it was an accident that this documentary was
directed by him and produced by Swiss-Tamil Drama School. "I went to Switzerland on an invitation by the
Swiss-Tamil Drama School to write an article, but when I went there I saw some of the
plays were documented by them and my interviews were also picturised, so I thought why don't we make a documentary?"
Speaking about the life of Tamils in Switzerland, Annamalai said Tamils were working in hotels, petrol pumps and many other places. They perform
plays after they complete their work, so they do not have enough rest time. To stage a drama, they take a lot of pains.
The students at the Swiss Tamil drama college are also trained in the drama field. After a training of three years, they get the title 'Kalaivalari'. The
students trained here perform in many television
plays and other plays.
'Alps
Koothadigal' runs for 35 minutes and deals with the 500-year histroty of Sri Lankan refugee migration. Actually, the documentary was shot for 40 hours and edited to 35 minutes.
Annamalai was also a student of Koothupatarai. He has also worked in 'Kumudam', 'Subhamangala' and 'Kanaiyazhi' magazines. He has been writing about
plays for a long time. Annamalai has also written six books.
Annamalai has got an award from Cindanai Vattam, the Tamil art film festival, New Jersey, for best director-notable short film.
For more information, please contact:
C Annamalai
3, Nathans Arcade,
21, Malaviya Avenue,
L B Road, Adyar,
Chennai-21.
Phone: 91-44-24455383 (residence) 91-44-24462726 (office)
Email: c.annamalai@indiatimes.com
The Alps Koothadigal
