Short films to be screened at NCPA news
Short film section ‘First Take / Drishyapat’ will be showcased as part of the theatre festival ‘Natya Rang’ in National Centre for performing Arts(NCPA) on the 23rd and 24th of January. First Take / Drishyapat claims to look at different visions of young filmmakers. It aims to represent the changes which have come into filmmaking after the setting in of digital culture. The films which will feature here are post-2000.
The criterion for selection of short films in this section was a certain awareness of the strong points of the short film format, and positive use of its limitations.
With one exception, there is only one film from each filmmaker. Exception is for Umesh Kulkarni whose short Fiction ‘Girni’ as well as Documentary ‘ Three of Us’ is part of the program. The two day festival is primarily divided in two basic categories of Documentary and Fiction.
Documentary section is called ‘The Other Side’. It comprises of the following documentaries:
Tale of two Cities (2006 / 15 mins/ Marathi , Hindi, English/ Directed by Alankrata, Anurag, Divya, Kanchan, Manasi & Sanika )– Directed by a group of student filmmakers, ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ tries to explore and document the stories of mill workers in Mumbai city through juxtaposition of the two worlds that are fighting – one for supremacy, the other for its survival.
Three of Us (2007/ 15mins/No Dialogue /Directed by Umesh Kulkarni) – heartfelt but perfectly straightforward observation of the ordinary and the extraordinary. A day in the life of a family leading their everyday life in spite of insurmountable difficulties. A minimalistic approach with a careful control on the sound design makes the film memorable.
Chronicle of an Amnesiac (2007/ 30 mins/Bengali/ Directed By Anirban Datta)- the film follows the disappearing and forgotten memories of Calcutta. Lead by the words of a 92-year-old man who fought in the revolutionary war, the film collects fragments of sound and voice from the alleyways chronicling the faintly lingering scents of Kolkata.
Looking for Amitabh (2003 / 5 min / Hindi , English/ Directed by Meenakshi Shedde) A filmstar is mostly recognised by the way he looks, not here though. A warm and enticing look at the Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan’s blind fans evoke him through various senses, except vision—hearing, smell, touch, instinct.
Morality TV aur Loving Jihad – Ek Manohar Kahani-(2007/31 mins/Hindi/ Directed by Paromita Vohra)- Deconstruction of a scandalous police action of raiding a lover’s zone in the town of Meerut. The film looks at a town's complex dynamics – the fear of love, the constant scrutiny and control of women's mobility and sexuality, a history of communal violence, caste and feudal equations. It asks a few hard questions about the nature of the news media and the moral police today without losing a lighter side of it.
Fiction Section is called ‘Beyond the Story’. It includes the following films:
Girni (2005 /22 mins/ Marathi /Directed by Umesh Kulkarni)- a simple story with a strong subtext on the background of urban poverty .A grinding machine earning a livelihood for the family encroaching on the life of a 10 year old boy taking away the boy’s space, his relationship with his mother, his playtime .......his childhood. Girni ultimately is a portrayal of the struggle of the innocent mind to rebel against the oppression that threatens its very existence.
Printed Rainbow (2006 /14 mins /Animation/ English/Directed by Gitanjali Rao)- A celebrated award winning film about an old woman and her cat. A poetic and surreal look at the loneliness, power of imagination and the metaphysical existence of oneself. Printed Rainbow is the only animated film in the selection.
Right Here Right Now (2003 / 30 mins / Marathi/Hindi/ English /Gujrati/ Directed by Anand Gandhi) A high concept and well executed two shot film. An argument between a mother and son leads to 2 simultaneous chains of events (each spanning huge distance, no of vehicles and characters) ,one spreading good vibes and the other bad ones. An optimistic comment about the nature of human life.
Birju (2001 / 14.30 mins /Marwari / Directed by /Directed by Heeraz Marfatiya)- Distracted by the many sights, sounds and smells of his Indian village, a four-year-old boy takes us on an odyssey that becomes a snapshot in time. A visual treat showcasing ethnic India, Birju also flaunts a twist ending of sorts.
Mumbai Lego- (2009 / 5 mins/ no dialogues / Directed by Sahil Shah)- Social Diversity and discrimination are woven into the social fabric of Mumbai city. In a very limited time and from a fresh perspective, this film tells a tale of urban prejudices only showing the legs of the characters.
Manjha- (2008 /41min/ Marathi, Hindi /Directed by Rahi Barve)- Manjha is one of the most discussed films of the recent past. It’s a noir tale of revenge which focuses on urban crime and poverty . Relentless and visually stunning, this black and white film shows a great promise from the director to hold his audience captive in spite of the brutal content and dark manner creating an impressive and complete overall experience.
