Malayalam film 'Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam' (Joyful Mystery) has been selected to the competition category of the Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF), thus becoming the only Indian film in the fray for top honours.
Written and directed by Don Palathara, the movie has Rima Kallingal and Jithin Puthenchery in the lead roles.
Touted as one of the most experimental films in the history of Malayalam cinema, 'Santhoshinte Onnam Rahasyam' was completely shot inside a car with the camera fixed on the dashboard. It was premiered at the 2021 edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala in February.
The film revolves around two lead characters; Maria, an entertainment reporter and her boyfriend Jitin, a small-time actor who does not have a steady source of income. The movie starts with the couple on the way to a clinic to find out if Maria is pregnant focuses solely on the relationship.
Don is not new to the Moscow Film Festival, His previous film, '1956, Central Travancore', was screened in October 2020.
Interestingly, the 1972 Malayalam film Swayamvaram, which marked the directorial debut of notable filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, was screened in the competition category of the festival in 1973.
2021 edition of the festival features 13 movies from India.