Here is a lilting song which captures the pain of the Afghan people and asks pertinent questions… simple questions that we often forget to ask. The strumming haunts our minds much after the song is over mainly because these questions remain unanswered and our conscience unclear.
I had a chance to watch “Deshaadanakilikal Karayaarilla” on telly the other day. I have seen this film just once when I was in school myself. I remember being able to completely identify with the school girl rebellion in the film. Last week I was able to completely identify with the grown up characters too. Isn’t that the magic of a genius filmmaker? I dont know if this film was a success at the box office… was it? Today, would such a film run successfully?
Jane Campion, the maker of films like The Piano, Holy Smoke, Sweetie, Portrait of a Lady, is the Jury Chairperson of the MAMI festival.
It makes me ECSTATIC because she is one of my top fav’ filmmakers! My post graduation entrance exam asked for an essay on a filmmaker’s work and I wrote about her film ‘The Piano’ 🙂
In 2006, at the International Film festival of India in Goa- she was screening Holy Smoke. Meeting her there is one moment I will always cherish. Dressed in a simple skirt with two pigtails and the warmest smile that reached out to you just like her films. I was in complete awe of her and just managed to mumble something like “I love your films!” As we spoke more, she asked me a question I will never forget.
At that stage I was beginning to make my first feature – and when I shared this with her she asked me “Have you prepared yourself?” Surprised that she was curious, I promptly rattled off that half the money was in place, the script was int he 8th draft, the casting was happening etc. Gently, she interrupted me and said – “no… I mean have you prepared yourself?” Â I stared at her not understanding what she meant.
Its been a fun one month when we travelled around a few film festivals in Europe with Manjadikuru & Kerala Cafe. Fortunately both films were received very well… I really enjoy interacting with viewers who know nothing about the film/s or me or our culture because I find they leave out the diplomacy. At these fests people would come up after a screening speaking in French or German and I’d have no clue what they were saying! But amidst a lot of body language, laughter or tears (depending on which movie!) they did reach out and convey what the movie meant to them. And that leaves me with a warm and fuzzy feeling 🙂
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Recently I took up a different kind of detox. I switched off my mobile phone. For 10 days. And it was the best gift I gave myself in a looooong time! It took me a couple of days to lose the urge to keep checking my phone for calls, messages or reminders or the...
People always seem to think they know what other people want. Some people have built whole careers out of it! I have been interacting with film professionals from different countries about the kind of films that are appreciated by their local audiences. One hears many thumb rules about what will work with the audience and not. These...
