C'est eux les chiens...

The movement by fearless protagonists was visible in films shown in competition section during 19th International Film Festival of Kerala 2014.However, their subject matters and presentation styles differed a lot. Moroccan director Hicham Lasri made an effective use of television as a potent tool of 'social awakening'. His film "They are the Dogs" (C'est Eux Les Chiens) is modeled on the sufferings experienced by ordinary Moroccans during widespread demonstrations against their national government in 1981. This film takes into account countless tribulations undergone by an old man who comes out of prison after having spent 3 decades in various Moroccan prisons. Once he has experienced the joys of freedom, searching for his lost family is the only thing on his mind. It is at this crucial stage of his life that a television crew with some energetic men crosses his path. It is not so often in the field of cinema that the road movie genre is coupled with television in order to comment on some serious yet necessary political issues. One has to watch this film's initial scenes with utmost attention as a casual viewer would not be able to understand how the scenes of a sound failure have just been used as a ploy for these youngsters to express their opinions. Actor Hassan Ben Badida is remarkable in his role as Majhoul, a man who loses everything including his family when he regains freedom after 3 decades of meaningless incarceration. This film's abrasive use of television camera to get closer to a protagonist mesmerized all the jurors that they chose to unanimously award it best film award in International competition section.