Watching films of South Indian origin, key details have stood out to me that I have wondered about. Why do many films have similar, repetitive motifs? Do these motifs have a further symbolic root? The investigation in thresholds emerged after watching the Malayalam film ‘Maheshinte Prathikaaram’ (2016) which had a subtle uniqueness to its visual approach. It became clear that the use of doors, either to frame a scene or as a narrative tool, was a frequently used building element within South Indian movies. Beyond framing, it has been enlightening to understand how each decision within a scene - from the framing, to the backing track and lyrics - all come together to make something of gravity. The influence of culture, religion and tradition is so deep-rooted yet the way they have come into the use of an element (i.e. doors) within film seem far-fetched. This particular study into South Indian films has allowed for greater appreciation of a region that is not often considered for their talents in storytelling.
