Dreaming of Words
{{short description|2021 Indian documentary film}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Dreaming of Words
| image = Poster of 'Dreaming of Words'.jpg
| caption = Movie poster for Dreaming of Words
| director = Nandan
| producer = Nandan
| starring =
| cinematography = Surjith S Pai
| editing = Sreevalsan RS
| music = Arun Alat
| released = {{Film date|2021|02|21|India|2021|04|26|USA|df=y}}
| runtime = 60 minutes
| language = Malayalam, Tamil
}}
Dreaming of Words is a 2021 Indian documentary film{{cite web|url=https://www.moderntimes.review/on-the-extraordinary-achievements-of-an-ordinary-man/|title=On the extraordinary achievements of an ordinary man|date=4 January 2021}} directed and produced by Nandan.{{cite web|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/metrolife/metrolife-lifestyle/unique-dictionary-covering-4-dravidian-languages-ready-907987.html|title = Unique dictionary covering 4 Dravidian languages ready|date = 28 October 2020}} The documentary traces the life and work of Njattyela Sreedharan,{{cite web|url=https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2020/10/31/beedi-worker-turned-lexicographer-compile-dictionary-dravidian-languages.html|title = Beedi-worker-turned-lexicographer spends 25 years to compile dictionary in 4 Dravidian languages}} a fourth standard drop-out (roughly equivalent to fourth grade in American or Canadian schools),{{Cite news|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2021/jan/10/the-work-of-his-dreams-andlove-for-words-awaits-a-reprint-2247989.html|title=The work of his dreams, and love for words, awaits a reprint|website=The New Indian Express}} who compiles a dictionary connecting four major Dravidian languages.{{cite web|url=https://www.dtnext.in/News/City/2020/10/29060637/1259164/Docu-film-features-82yearold-who-compiled-dictionary-.vpf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101040748/https://www.dtnext.in/News/City/2020/10/29060637/1259164/Docu-film-features-82yearold-who-compiled-dictionary-.vpf|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 November 2020|title=Docu film features 82-year-old who compiled dictionary connecting four Dravidian languages|website=DT Next |date=29 October 2020}}
Dreaming of Words has received numerous accolades including National Film Award for Best Educational/Motivational/Instructional Film (2020){{cite web | url=https://www.filmibeat.com/bollywood/news/2022/national-film-awards-2022-complete-winners-list-ajay-devgn-suriya-win-big-338137.html?story=1 | title=National Film Awards 2022 Complete Winners List: Ajay Devgn and Suriya Win Big | date=22 July 2022 }} awarded to Nandan as both director and producer at the 68th National Film Awards.{{cite web | url=https://www.mathrubhumi.com/literature/features/director-nandan-talks-about-national-award-winning-documentary-dreaming-of-words-1.7721004 | title='കൂടുതൽ പുരസ്കാരങ്ങൾ ഭാഷാസ്നേഹിയായ നായകന് ലഭിക്കട്ടെ' - സംവിധായകൻ നന്ദൻ | date=23 July 2022 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/interview/2022/07/27/nandan-talks-about-national-award-winning-documentary-dreaming-of-words.html | title=ശ്രീധരേട്ടനെ ഡോക്യുമന്ററിയിലാക്കി; നന്ദനെ തേടിയെത്തിയത് ദേശീയ പുരസ്കാരം }}
Synopsis
Njattyela Sreedharan, a fourth standard drop-out, compiles a dictionary connecting four major Dravidian languages.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/for-keralites-door-opens-to-three-other-dravidian-languages/article32986464.ece|title = For Keralites, door opens to three other Dravidian languages|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 30 October 2020|last1 = Sajit|first1 = C. p.}} Travelling across four states and doing extensive research, he spent twenty five years{{cite web|url=https://silvertalkies.com/the-man-who-wrote-a-dictionary-in-four-languages/|title=The Man Who Wrote A Dictionary In Four Languages - Silver Talkies|website=silvertalkies.com}} making the multilingual dictionary. This unique dictionary offers a comparative study of Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu.{{cite web|url=https://bookofachievers.com/articles/82-yo-compiles-dictionary-of-4-dravidian-languages-useful-ofcourse|title = 82-year-old Kerala man's Dictionary is in the four Dravidian languages. 25 long years to compile}} Dreaming of Words traces Sreedharan's life, work, love for languages and the struggles to get the dictionary published.{{cite web|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/246205/83-yo-kerala-school-dropout-creates-unique-dictionary-in-4-south-indian-languages-vid01/|title=83-YO Kerala School Dropout Creates Unique Dictionary in 4 South Indian Languages|date=31 December 2020}} The film also explores the linguistic and cultural diversity in India.{{cite web|url=https://www.culturesmag.com/2020/11/07/inspiring-lexicographer-breaks-the-barrier-of-words-and-spends-25-years-to-compile-dictionary-in-4-dravidian-languages-in-the-south-of-india/|title=Inspiring lexicographer breaks the barrier of words and spends 25 years to compile dictionary in 4 Dravidian languages in the South of India.}}
= People featured =
The documentary follows Njattyela Sreedharan's unparalleled determination to compile his 'Dictionary of Four Dravidian Languages'.{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/love-words-82-year-old-compiles-dictionary-4-south-indian-languages-138684|title = For the love of words, 82-year-old compiles dictionary of 4 south Indian languages|date = 30 November 2020}}
The film also features P. K. Pokker,{{cite web|url=https://malayalam.news18.com/news/life/dreaming-of-words-documentary-by-nandan-about-njattyela-sreedharan-who-made-dravida-language-dictionary-updated-jj-203007.html|title=നാല് ഭാഷകളിൽ വാക്കുകളെ സ്വപ്നം കണ്ടയാൾ - ഇത് തലശ്ശേരിയിലെ ശ്രീധരേട്ടൻ|date=4 February 2020}} former director of Kerala Bhasha Institute, who decided to publish Sreedharan's Tamil - Malayalam dictionary in 2012{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.in/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3ANjattyela+Sreedharan&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1|title = Book Store Online : Buy Books Online at Best Prices in India | Books Shopping @ Amazon.in}} and K. P. Mohanan, the secretary{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/kerala-sahitya-academy-fellowships-for-sethu-and-perumbadavam-sreedharan/articleshow/85417938.cms|title=Kerala Sahitya Academy fellowships for Sethu and Perumbadavam Sreedharan | Kochi News - Times of India|website=The Times of India|date=18 August 2021 }} of Kerala Sahitya Akademi.
Also featured in the documentary are Seetharam Master, N. P. Usha and K. K. Ramesh.
Release
Dreaming of Words had its world premiere at the International Mother Language Day Celebrations{{cite web|url=http://ignca.gov.in/invitations/Fostering_Multilingualism_schedule.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2CkT4P4_od1Cxd3wnINcoibRlFVTVEpZ8jHuTsPdePHV--AMdSbArdnMk|title=Celebrating International Mother Language Day: Program Agenda}} 2021 organised by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts and the Ministry of Education (India) in partnership with UNESCO. This was followed by an international premiere as part of Kultura Con{{cite web|url=https://luxafrica.life/2021/03/festival-cinematografico-kultura-con-decorre-em-formato-digital-em-luanda/?fbclid=IwAR1yALh840wOg_U04R8nV-OAz1OK-GKeIXtR7E_jOEb8N9dQ4VkOAYAirsw|title=Festival Cinematográfico "Kultura Con" decorre em formato digital em Luanda|date=4 March 2021}} at the Brazilian Cultural Center in Angola.
Dreaming of Words had its American premiere at the Micheaux Film Festival on 26 April 2021.
The documentary was screened at the annual convention of the Modern Language Association{{Cite web|url=https://mla.confex.com/mla/2022/meetingapp.cgi/Session/11945?fbclid=IwAR001wiT7ZZgnIe3HqiAvMbYhl8kMx-9Q9qO1ZuQaHQXY2sWXjWITw5h_d8|title=Dreaming of Words|date=7 January 2022}} and the annual conference of the Linguistic Society of America{{cite web|url=https://www.linguisticsociety.org/abstract/dreaming-words|title=Dreaming of Words | Linguistic Society of America|website=www.linguisticsociety.org}} in January 2022.
Official selections and screenings
= Film festivals =
- Central Florida Film Festival{{cite web|url=https://www.centralfloridafilmfestival.com/|title=CENFLO | Central Florida Film Festival|website=CENFLO | Central Florida Film Festival}} - 2022
- Black Bear Film Festival{{cite web|url=https://blackbearfilmfestival.squarespace.com/2021-salons|title=2021 Salons|website=The Black Bear Film Festival|access-date=8 January 2022|archive-date=8 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108073207/https://blackbearfilmfestival.squarespace.com/2021-salons|url-status=dead}} - USA – 2021
- Kultura Con – Angola – 2 March 2021
- RapidLion: The South African International Film Festival – South Africa – 9 April 2021
- Micheaux Film festival{{cite web|url=https://www.micheauxfilmfest.com/copy-of-true-stories-unscripted-spec|title=True Stories (Documentaries)|website=Micheaux Film Fest|access-date=8 January 2022|archive-date=8 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108061354/https://www.micheauxfilmfest.com/copy-of-true-stories-unscripted-spec|url-status=dead}} – USA – 26 April 2021 (American premiere)
- 61st Kraków Film Festival Video Library – Poland - 30 May 2021
- Chicago South Asian Film Festival - 2021
- Washington DC South Asian Film Festival{{cite web|url=https://dcsaff.eventive.org/films/618575d0f89890004512cffb?fbclid=IwAR1bgOs8sLcKvKM37GvgXS1Jqa0A2IflaWL5OFNKGonJ9qtUYTnCCBbnyIU|title = DC South Asian Film Festival}} – USA - 2021
- Agora Doc Market Thessaloniki Documentary Festival – Greece - 24 June 2021
- Festival International du Film de Bretagne – France (European premiere) – 8 July 2021
- Festival Nits de cinema oriental de Vic (Asian Summer Film Festival){{cite web | url=https://centrescivics.vic.cat/esdeveniments/somiant-amb-paraules/ | title=Somiant Amb Paraules – Centres Cívics Vic | access-date=14 March 2022 | archive-date=23 May 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523183626/https://centrescivics.vic.cat/esdeveniments/somiant-amb-paraules/ | url-status=dead }} – Spain – 20 July 2021
- Florida South Asian Film Festival – 2021
- Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival – China - 2022
- Atlanta Urban Mediamakers Festival{{cite web|url=https://www.umff.com/umff-content-creators-2021.html|title = Urban Mediamakers Festival - UMF | Lawrenceville, Georgia USA | International Independent Films}} – 2021
- Fiorenzo Serra Film festival – Italy – 2021
- Vizantrop Engaged Ethnographic Film Festival – Serbia – 2021
- 17th Festival Transterritorial de Cine Underground{{cite web|url=https://cineunder.wordpress.com/2021/12/04/films-seleccionados-para-la-17ma-edicion/?fbclid=IwAR1N8e4bkIHgc2Hd8_omqKMOS1Q5QqmOzdN4vFjCi2-cohiaQ1yV5NAGai4|title=Films seleccionados para la 17ma edición!|date=4 December 2021}} – Argentina – 2021
- Jaffna International Cinema Festival – Sri Lanka – 2021
- Madurai International Documentary and Short Film Festival{{cite web|url=http://maduraifilmfest.blogspot.com|title=Madurai International Documentary and Short Film Festival|website=maduraifilmfest.blogspot.com}} – India – 2021
- SiGNS Film Festival{{cite web|url=https://www.signsfestival.in/schedule/#tab-id-2-active|title=Schedule – SiGNS}} - Kerala - 3 April 2022
= Academic conferences =
- Annual Convention of the Modern Language Association – 7 January 2022
- Annual Conference of the Linguistics Society of America – 9 January 2022
- 28th annual Midwestern Conference on Literature, Language and Media (MCLLM) at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois – USA - 2 April 2021
- 14th International Conference of the Asian Association for Lexicography (ASIALEX 2021) – Indonesia – June 2021
- 12th International Indology Graduate Research Symposium (IIGRS 12){{cite web|url=https://iigrs.wordpress.com/programme/|title = Programme|date = 3 June 2016}} organised by the University of Vienna in collaboration with the Austrian Academy of Sciences - Austria – July 2021
- Inter-Asia Cultural Studies Society's conference (IACSS 2021) organised by the Inter-Asia Cultural Studies Society in collaboration with the Cultural Research Centre at National University of Singapore - July 2021
- World Congress of Applied Linguistics 2021 organised by the International Association of Applied Linguistics at University of Groningen, Netherlands.
- Annual colloquium of La Société d’Histoire et d’Epistémologie des Sciences du Langage (SHESL) 2022{{cite web |url=https://shesl.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Prg-SHESL_FR.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=19 January 2022 |archive-date=18 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118212306/https://shesl.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Prg-SHESL_FR.pdf |url-status=dead }} at Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales, Paris - 26 January 2022
- XI Ethnology days and the VIII Finnish Conference on Cultural Policy Research{{cite web | url=https://www.jyu.fi/en/congress/etnokult2022/other-programme | title=Muu ohjelma/Other programme | access-date=2 March 2022 | archive-date=2 March 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302111403/https://www.jyu.fi/en/congress/etnokult2022/other-programme | url-status=dead }} at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland - March 2022
- 3rd Asian Conference on Language (ACL2022) organised by The International Academic Forum{{cite web|url=https://acl.iafor.org/dreaming-of-words-screened-at-acl2022/|title=ACL2022 | Award-Winning Indian Documentary "Dreaming of Words" to be Screened at ACL2022|date=8 February 2022|access-date=26 March 2022|archive-date=3 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303104322/https://acl.iafor.org/dreaming-of-words-screened-at-acl2022/|url-status=dead}} - Tokyo - 26 March 2022
= Other events =
- International Mother Language Day Celebrations organised by The Centre for Linguistics, SLL&CS, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi - 21 February 2022{{cite web | url=https://jnu.ac.in/node/159894659 | title=CL, SLL&CS organize the screening of a documentary film 'Dreaming of Words' and a panel discussion | Welcome to Jawaharlal Nehru University }}
Awards
- National Film Award for Best Educational/Motivational/Instructional Film (2020)
- Kerala State Television Award (2020) for Best Educational Programme{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/main-serial-categories-left-blank-in-state-tv-award-in-kerala/article36226879.ece|title = Main serial categories left blank in State TV Awards in Kerala|newspaper = The Hindu|date = September 2021}}
- Festival Prize for Best International Documentary Film at Festival International du Film de Bretagne (2021)
- Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Washington DC South Asian Film Festival (2021){{cite web|url=https://dcsaaci.org |title=DCSAACI – A Non-Profit 501 (c)(3) Organization |publisher=Dcsaaci.org |date= |accessdate=2022-10-10}}
- Festival Prize for Best Poster at the Buenos Aires International Film Festival (2021){{cite web|url=https://press.bueiff.com/2021/04/29/award-winners-bueiff-2021/|title = Award Winners Results 6th Edition | BUEIFF 2021|date = 29 April 2021}}
See also
References
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=tt13150132}}
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh450c0u0Ag/ Dreaming of Words | Official Trailer on YouTube]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWmRnOcm_Ko/ Dreaming of Words | Full Documentary on YouTube]
Category:Indian documentary films
Category:2021 documentary films
Category:Documentary films about words and language
Category:Documentary films about India
Category:Documentary films about education
Category:Films about lexicography
Category:Films shot in Thiruvananthapuram
Category:Films shot in Thrissur
Category:Films shot in Kozhikode
Category:Films shot in Thalassery
Category:2021 independent films