Viola wins award at the Mexico Fest

Biju Viswanath,director and filmmaker,had won critical acclaim at the international level with his Déjà vu and Mahotsav. He has also made an Irish film Lorg and Marathon based on the life and times of William Meredieth,before making Viola,a fiction.

Viola,with actress Julie Klizer playing the key role,also has Peter OConnor,Beverly Hayes,Bristol Pomeroy,Arthur Rosbery Yoder and Nick Dullea. The film,which is a romance-mystery,tells the story of a German girl who works in a Jewish bakery in New York. Things change when she gets a phone call from Marlene Dietrich,the late actress and singer. She is brought face to face with revelations about herself,about love and things deeper.

Biju Viswanath is happy about the honour the film has bagged. Says he,It is a very prestigious award,I am very happy and thankful and this award inspires me a lot to go forward with my new ventures. The director is already on to his next venture. Adds Biju,I am at present in the post-production of my psychological thriller The Nail. He has forged a production partnership with actress Julie Klizer and has started a production company named Bijulie Cinema. Its under the banner of Bijulie Cinema that Viola has been made and there are other films in the offing. In October we are planning our next movie,based in Doha. It will be a love story. And then,in January 2012,we will be shooting our next thriller in Vienna,Austria,says Biju Viswanath about their forthcoming films.

When asked what the highlight of Viola is,the internationally-acclaimed filmmaker said,As a filmmaker it is a very challenging theme because the film relies on how the mystery and romance are blended and I am happy that people like it. Its also a movie that works on different levels. Self-discovery,hope,surviving destructive relationships,finding order in chaos,souls interacting with each other in different time and space- these are all elements that are blended together in Viola. This is one of those movies the virtues and subtleties of which become more and more apparent with subsequent viewings. From the responses I am getting,the movie works and above all people like it.

Biju Viswanath says that it was not easy shooting for Viola. He shares his experiences,It was a very tough shooting in New York during the winter. Independent films are always about solving problems and how you can turn your disadvantages to advantages. I was lucky to have a very good team of actors who were helpful. He also speaks about what inspired him to make films out of India. As a filmmaker I always wanted my movie to reach a wider spectrum of viewers. I found that my sensibilities are more suited to the international market than to Indian mainstream movies. It is a very wonderful and rich experience that helped me evolve as a better human being and filmmaker.