Malayalam cinema made a proud mark at the world-renowned Cannes Film Festival with Amma Ariyan by John Abraham being screened in the prestigious “Cannes Classics” section. Originally released in 1986, the film is the only Malayalam film and one of just two Indian films selected for screening at this year’s festival.

Actor Joy Mathew, who played the lead role in the film, editor Beena Paul, and Film Heritage Foundation founder Shivendra Singh Dungarpur attended the red carpet event held in connection with the world premiere of the film’s 4K restored version. Cinematographer Venu, who contributed to the restoration process, could not attend the festival.

An extraordinary people’s film returns to the global stage: Produced through the Odessa Collective by raising funds from the public, Amma Ariyan appearing on the Cannes screen nearly four decades later is a historic moment of recognition. The film portrays the politically charged youth of Kerala through the journey of friends traveling to inform a mother about the death of a young man.

Restoration Journey: Since the original negatives of the film were lost, the restoration was carried out using two 35mm prints preserved at the National Film Archives. Under the leadership of the Film Heritage Foundation, the film was restored using advanced 4K technology at a laboratory in Bologna, Italy.

This rare masterpiece by John Abraham overcoming the challenges of time to receive global recognition is a matter of immense pride for both Malayalam cinema and Indian cinema.