There are some films that never really leave people, no matter how many years pass. They quietly stay alive through conversations, old memories, film clubs and the people who continue to carry them in their
hearts. This week at the Cannes Film Festival, one such Malayalam classic found its way back to the big screen and the moment turned emotional for everyone in the room.
Filmmaker John Abraham’s cult Malayalam film Amma Ariyan received a screening at Cannes in its restored 4K version on Sunday as part of the Cannes Classics section. The restoration was carried out with the support of the Film Heritage Foundation, marking the foundation’s fifth consecutive year presenting a restored film at the prestigious festival.
The screening drew a packed audience and eventually ended with a standing ovation, nearly four decades after the film was first made. What made the moment even more special was the fact that the film had never received a conventional commercial release when it originally came out.
The event was attended by actor Joy Mathew, editor Bina Paul and Film Heritage Foundation director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, among others. The film was introduced by Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux before the screening began.
Sharing glimpses from the evening on Instagram, the Film Heritage Foundation wrote, “A full house for FHF’s restoration John Abraham’s cult Malayalam film ‘Amma Ariyan’ (Report to Mother, 1986) last evening at the Cannes Film Festival 2026!! The film was screened to a full house and was introduced by Thierry Fremaux, Director of the Cannes Film Festival, FHF Director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, lead actor Joy Mathew and editor Bina Paul. Shivendra Singh Dungarpur spoke about John Abraham’s legacy as an inspirational filmmaker, while Joy Mathew and Bina Paul reminisced about the making of the pathbreaking film and working with the iconoclastic filmmaker.”
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The organisation also reflected on the emotional response the film received at the festival. It added, “Four decades after it was made, the film that was never released commercially, got a standing ovation at Cannes. ‘Amma Ariyan’ is the only Indian feature film to be selected this year for a world premiere at the prestigious festival.”
In another post, FHF wrote, “The film was introduced by Thierry Fremaux, Director of the Cannes Film Festival, FHF Director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, lead actor Joy Mathew and editor Bina Paul. Shivendra Singh Dungarpur spoke about John Abraham’s legacy as an inspirational filmmaker, while Joy Mathew and Bina Paul reminisced about the making of the pathbreaking film and working with the iconoclastic filmmaker.”
Set during the politically charged atmosphere of 1970s Kerala, Amma Ariyan follows the journey of Purushan, a man travelling to inform a mother about her son’s death. Along the way, he is joined by several companions, turning the journey into a deeply personal as well as political experience.
The 115-minute film was produced by the Odessa Collective, a film movement co-founded by John Abraham. The collective tried to move away from mainstream filmmaking and distribution methods. In an unusual and ambitious experiment at the time, members travelled across villages performing street plays, beating drums and screening films to raise money directly from ordinary people.
