Report to Mother

A journey in the footsteps of a dead man in one of India’s greatest films of all time. Russian premiere as part of the Collective Cinema Festival.

Amma Ariyan
1985, John Abraham 

India
115 minutes, Malayalam with Russian subtitles

Starring: Joy Mathew, Maji Venkitesh, Harinarayanan, Kunhulakshmi Amma

Purushan heads to Delhi in search of work, but on the way he comes across a recently discovered body. Something vaguely familiar strikes him in the dead man’s features—but how does he know a young musician and activist named Hari? And why did he die? Instead of heading for the capital, Purushan sets out on a journey to Hari’s hometown to tell his mother about her son’s death.

Still from Report to Mother, 1985

Undoubtedly one of the most accomplished and complex political films to have come out of Parallel Cinema.

—Omar Ahmed, Il Cinema Ritrovato

Along the way, more and more of Hari’s acquaintances join the self-proclaimed messenger. This transition from a solitary figure amidst the landscapes of Kerala to a group united by a common purpose is emblematic of John Abraham’s entire film. Perhaps the most liberal in terms of principles and worldview among directors of Indian independent cinema seeks opportunities for solidarity in a society left in the ruins of political disillusionment.