It’s Been An Emotional Roller Coaster Ride, But I’d Do It Again In A Cinematic Second!
As always, the trip to the Inaugural Ceremony on 20th Nov. was fraught with bus-catching, road-crossing, entry-finding and other sundry adventures. For me these ceremonies are a must-see because the colourful artwork and vigorous dances make them worthwhile. Normally, Iâm allergic to crowds (no offence, personal thing) and speeches.
It involved a bit of running (literally) to get to the inaugural movie venue because of a road block. Whether it was because the traffic on the national highway was particularly heavy or because the cops were whisking the protesting FTII students away, I donât know. (Dear Readers, you are aware that the Film and Television Institute of Indiaâs students raised banners/slogans/(fingers, too, perhaps) at the venue, against the present Governmentâs choice of Chairman for FTII⊠are you not?)
The first hiccup of being told that I didnât exist on the computer was resolved and followed by another, that the kit with the film synopses wasnât available. Finally everything settled into a routine by the 22nd Monday and we took our places in the mandatory queues.
The Russian âThe Territoryâ (Alexandr Melnik) took me to the Tundra, where in the â60s geologists went in search of gold, and mined tin instead. Reminded me of our soldiers on Siachen, toiling away whilst the babus in Delhi are comfortable, detached and selfish. Someday, a film will be made on them (both the soldiers and the babus).
The recent Paris killing led us to âMay Allah Bless Franceâ (âQuâAllah Benisse La Franceâ). It showed how people in ghettos get âIslamisedâ. How hard it is to get jobs, how easy to get into drugs, and even easier to get indoctrinated into religious fanaticism without money and work opportunities.
âThe Moving Forestâ was an adaptation of Shakespeareâs Macbeth. Nothingâs changed as far as human nature is concerned. Rural England 300 years ago and todayâs corporate world both feature jealousy, greed and murder. The small details and nuances, the modern dialogues conveying aptly the old (âout, out damn spotâ), hold oneâs attention all the way.
Iâm fond of non-fiction narratives. The story of a teacher who was losing his sight, who kept his secret until his class took an important exam, was a moving one: âCarte Blancheâ.
In âFlockingâ, we discovered that in any community, if a girl is raped and the guy gets away, he will probably do it again. In this movie, the boyâs mother knows heâs guilty, yet takes no step to punish him.
âKaili Bluesâ, Chinese, was about a doctor who writes poetry and works in rural areas. Last year, a French woman had told me (at a screening) that she was waiting for something meaningful to happen and then fell asleep.Happened to me through this film.
The Pakistani âMoorâ was a disappointment for a different reason. The earlier films Iâd seen from that country (âBolâ, âKhuda ke Liyeâ) had been outstanding. Nevertheless, one got a glimpse of Baluchistan and how a countryâs inherited (from the Brits) railways were sold, bit by large pieces, to destroy a country. And how a handful of persons with integrity could change that.Message received loud and clear in India.
The Turkish âFrenzyâ showed us the sleazier side of lovely Istanbul. A man who is released from jail is given a job as a garbage collector and used as an intelligence agent. Coincidentally, his brother works in the same department as a dog-catcher. The twists of the tale get into the mind of a man out to save his family and do his job with integrity. He eventually gets into trouble because of the decision that his superiors take based on his inputs. And the fate of his brother and that of the terrorists are surprising.
The Press Conferences, the Master Classes and the Workshops gave me a peek into what happened behind the screen. At Edward Pressmanâs class on Film Production, it was Mathew Brown (âThe Man Who Knew Infinityâ) who told us how it took him ten years to make the film. He first read the book on which the film was made, whilst his brother (who composed the music for the film) was being treated in an oncology ward. It wasnât easy to translate the passion for mathematics for a lay audience. Support from a good producer can make things happen, even when the budget is low.
Nearly half or more the impact of a film depends on sound. Mark Mangini in his Press Conference explained how: in a sci-fiction movie, one has to create an environment no one has seen before. Similarly, the sound designer has to create sounds no one has heard before and which give the audience an earful (literally ) of an out-of-the-world experience.
Talking about casting, Nancy Bishop, who works between the USA and Europe said that geographical and political boundaries now are meaningless whilst choosing people for a film. For example, with China investing in films, there is a growing need for Chinese actors/themes/locations/music. The financers mostly decide who will take the lead role. Quite often, yesterdayâs big name wins over todayâs talent. One little secret she divulged was how good scripts were treasured. They were locked in special safes and printed on red paper so that no one could photo-copy them. She gets to meet new faces in acting schools and workshops, but often, she just picks people off the street.
The crowd at the Film Bazar has been increasing by the year. But the 46th IFFI, unlike the previous two, had lesser delegates, hence the seats to people ratio meant one could see some film or the other through the day. The hoi polloi went to Azad Maidan to see classics for free. âPyaasaaâ and âJait re Jaitâ were screened there. The selection this year was very good.
When âMagallanesâ ended, the claps continued for many minutes. Peru, Brazil, Japan, Argentina, Iran⊠exciting films come from the least expected places.
Neighbouring Maharashtra brought thought-provoking films like âKotheeâ about how a family gets rid of a 6-7-year-old boy because heâs transgender. The director cried when he told us about his experiences. With that kind of passion, itâs no wonder the film is excellent. Our own Konkani âNachom-ia Kumpasarâ has won awards across the planet. The actor, who spoke impeccable Konkani on-screen, is a Bengali settled in Mumbai. Talk of integration, films do that and more.
My ten days of armchair travel and journeys into other minds and cultures are almost over. It would be nice if we could have an IFFI every day. Though Iâm not sure my heartstrings can take so much pulling.