IDEA CAME FROM IMAGERY OF COCONUT TREES BEING BURNED DOWN

JOSHY BENEDICT's perseverance in the field of animation finally got its due reward when his film, A Coconut Tree, bagged the National Award in the Best Animated Short Film category recently.

- VARSHA SOMARAJ

JOSHY BENEDICT's perseverance in the field of animation finally got its due reward when his film, A Coconut Tree, bagged the National Award in the Best Animated Short Film category recently. The 8.5-minute film explores the relationship between humanity and nature through the story of a family who finds solace in a coconut tree. Written and directed by the Kozhikode-based animator, the film relies entirely on music and sound effects, with no dialogues or narration.

Here, TNIE speaks to Joshy about his work, a coconut tree, and more. Excerpts

How did the idea for the film come about?

I have been animating for about 20 years now. I wasn't planning to make a film. But I had so many stories and ideas in mind—stories I felt could be best expressed as a short film. That's how A Coconut Tree took shape.

A sense of nostalgia? Absolutely... part of our lived experiences. All ideas are influenced by what we go through—what we read, what we see, what we live. Imagination, after all, is just an extension of those experiences.

When did you begin work on A Coconut Tree?