State of Hope follows the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign of Dr. T.M. Thomas Isaac, the Left Democratic Front candidate in Pathanamthitta, Kerala. Dr. Isaac has been working in Pathanamthitta since 2021, after two terms as the Finance Minister of Kerala. The film explores his election manifesto which focuses on employment generation, organic farming, women’s enterprise, waste management, palliative care and other initiatives for people’s empowerment. Through his campaign, the film also addresses the contemporary political scenario in India, such as Centre-state relations, and the political participation of marginalised communities in an era of rising inequality. The film portrays the uniqueness of Kerala as a state, given its history of social movements and civil society organisations. 

State of Hope is one of nine documentary films that tell the story of the 2024 Indian elections from the series titled ‘Election Diaries 2024’ produced by CeMIS (Centre for Modern Indian Studies), Göttingen University, Germany.

Premiers at IDSFFK, Thiruvanathapuram at 6.15 PM @ Nila Theatre,
on 25 August 2025. Read More…

Screening at Indian Documentary Film Festival 2025, Bhubaneswar, on Sep 26, 2025
Read More…

Screening at the Chennai Documentary Film Festival, on February 26 at Chennai Institute of Journalism, Kotturpuram, at 5.30 pm. Read more…