Come and watch some great movies
SANGEETH KURIAN
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This was a festival with a difference.
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LEARNING THROUGH ANIMATION: The films were great fun to watch
Poopy, the 30-minute animation film which won the award for the best programme in the 5 to 8 years category at the recently concluded All India Children's Educational Audio-Video Festival held in the city tells the story of a puppy named Poopy who is always eager to learn about the world around him.
The dog is a metaphorical representation of a curious child. The questions that Poopy asks are similar to those of a child who clears his doubts through observation and by asking questions.
The animation video consists of nuggets of information, which Poopy picks up from his environment such as how a sparrow makes its nest, the characteristic features of cat and climate changes.
In addition to this the video also has two folk songs and a musical.
"We can imbibe a lot of things from our environment," said K.S. Madhu, director of the film and executive director, Hibiscus Design, the company involved in digital publishing for children. "What you tell and how you tell is very important. For instance while making Poopy we had decided that there will not be any violence or cruelty in the film.
This is a value system, which we have tried to incorporate in all our productions," he said.
Poopy also bagged prizes for the best director, best editing and best graphic animation. A total of 10 video and 2 audio productions competed at the three-day festival. Butterflies: the Angels of Nature, produced by the State Institute of Educational Technology (SIET) was adjudged the best children's film of 2006.
Wide variety
The film gives an introduction to the beautiful world of butterflies in the State.
It explains the life stages of butterflies, peculiarities and different species of butterflies that can be seen only in the forests of the State.
The brief discussion on the world of butterflies also shows the rich biodiversity of the State. The festival kicked off with the screening of Inertia, a film on science directed by Sudha Sharma for secondary and senior secondary students by the Central Institute of Educational Technology.
The programme explains and demonstrates the property of inertia with the help of simple experiments. This was followed by the screening of `Akhiya Haridarshan Ki Pyasi,' a 26-minute film on the works of Meerabai, a renowned poetess of the medieveal period known for her selfless love for Lord Krishna.
Earlier inaugurating the festival, the Minister for Education M.A. Baby said that the Government would conduct State-level educational audio-video festivals from next year onwards.
The focus of the festival should be on how to use modern technology in education, he said. The Education Minister said that students should be given the democratic right to asses and evaluate the quality of their teachers.
"We should be bold and courageous in making innovations in the field of education. Though the State has made creditable achievement in general education, the quality of the education offered is still a concern, he said.
K.R. Mohanan of the Kerala State Chalachithra Academy was the jury chairman of the festival.
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