FC Gold 2023 Winner: Theni Eashwar| Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam

For creating a surreal universe situated somewhere in the middle of a dream and reality. Theni Eashwar’s first collaboration with Lijo Jose Pellissery results in a series of still frames we never associate with the director’s films. Every single shot remains static, and that too from a distance - except for one that’s meant to deliver the film’s most dramatic moment. Instead of characters, we appear to be watching stage performers through a proscenium built by Theni.