ROLE: Graphic Designer & Researcher
CLIENT: MA Research Project/LCC
Selective Recording is an ongoing, independently developed database project that originated during my postgraduate studies at UAL. The first edition is a research-led publication indexing Malayalam films that portray NRIs (Non-Residential Indians) at the extreme ends of the socio-economic platform, framing their experiences and interactions with the Gulf countries in the black-and-white representation of dream versus nightmare. Incorporating a factual tone, the publication intended to scrutinise and highlight the limited archetypes employed by Malayalam filmmakers when depicting Gulf-based NRIs by analysing films from 2000 to 2024 (using thirteen films as a case study). Designed for both linear and non-linear reading, each chapter offers a distinct entry point into the research.
The project was well-received and featured at A Line Which Forms A Volume (ALWFAV)'s symposium held at
the London College of Communication, where the research methodologies adopted in developing the publication were presented.
View case study
Despite a substantial portion of Indians residing in these countries, with a significant portion employed in white-collar roles, films continue depicting characters at the extreme ends of the socio-economic platform.