International film festivals are not new territory for Malayalam filmmaker Leo Thaddeus. But the upcoming Busan International Film Festival is different for him. This time, Thaddeus is going, not as an audience, but as a filmmaker presenting his latest work, The Soul Whisperer. “This is the first time something like this is happening to me. I am humbled,” he smiled.
Thaddeus considers himself fortunate that he got the cast and crew of his choice to make The Soul Whisperer. In fact, his composer Milad Movahedi worked during the US-Iran war to deliver the film’s tracks — something that the director has deep gratitude for. “It was tough for him to pull that off during a war. He couldn’t work from Tehran. So, he went to Türkiye, but he felt a creative block there. So, he went back to Tehran. We would talk over calls most days. One day, he told me, ‘I don’t know how far I can finish your work. Most days, I feel this may be my last film.’ He couldn’t give me the last two tracks on time because the entire network shut down. He was able to send them after a week,” recalled the director.
Leo Thaddeus and Milad Movahedi. Pics/By Special Arrangement
Such unwavering dedication and hard work have resulted in The Soul Whisperer becoming exactly the kind of movie the director wanted to make, one about the “philosophy of human journey”. The movie has emerged from a core memory of his teenager self. “I come from a Syrian Christian background. Earlier in my village, they used to practise this ritual where people visited those on their deathbed and prayed for them. When I was in the sixth standard, I remember a person in my neighbourhood being on his deathbed and a lady came to his house. I didn’t see her sleeping or eating; she was always sitting on his bedside and praying. Similarly, this character in my film wants every [departing] soul to say goodbye happily.”
[popcorn number=”Oct 8″ desc=”When ‘The Soul Whisperer’ will première at the film festival” class=”Default”]
The Soul Whisperer's music composer Milad Movahedi worked amid the US-Iran war
