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More documentary film makers are needed
SOCIETY NEEDS more entrepreneurs to produce documentary films, to cater to the needs of a vast section of short film lovers. This was stated by noted documentary filmmaker and one of the members of ?Film For Freedom?- Action Platform Kavita Joshi while talking to the Hindustan Times.
SOCIETY NEEDS more entrepreneurs to produce documentary films, to cater to the needs of a vast section of short film lovers.
This was stated by noted documentary filmmaker and one of the members of ‘Film For Freedom’- Action Platform Kavita Joshi while talking to the Hindustan Times.
Joshi was at the IIT, to train IITians in handling camera and capturing the event for making documentary and commercial films, as part of the Umang -2006, a film festival in progress at the IIT auditorium.
The Action Platform comprises 300 independent filmmakers who had been venturing for the past several years in making documentary films in individual capacity on various subjects of social, national and public interest.
Joshi said, “There is misconception about the documentary films that they are far from fiction and are made on serious subjects.” But in gross contrast to this misconception documentary films are based on imagination and interesting subjects,” stated Joshi. She added that there is a large segment of movie lovers who have an admiration for documentary films but there are certain constraints which discourage documentary film producers. “On one hand very few people invest in documentary films and on the other-hand these films do not get distributors,” pointed out Joshi. Therefore, they cannot be screened in cinema halls and other public places unless some one sponsors them, added Joshi. Yet, independent filmmakers are engaged in promoting documentary films on social service basis, informed Joshi.
Informing about the Action Platform, Joshi informed, “The platform has 70 films in its archives and more are under pipeline.
She added that most of these films have already been shown on Doordarshan in collaboration with Public Broadcasting Trust. “In India these films have also been screened in 50 cities. The highest number of them were shown in villages of Rajasthan and in Karnal,” informed Joshi. Now many organisations including employees unions and other associations have requested to make documentary films to create awareness among workers, remarked Joshi. Informing about her film ‘Some Roots Grow Upward’, Joshi said, “The movie has already been screened in New York, Pune, New Delhi and in film festivals of Belgium and Switzerland.” The movie has also bagged several prestigious awards.
At IIT, six documentary films were screened today which included ‘Pather to Chujaeria’ directed by Pankaj Rishi Kumar, ‘Manju bain Truck driver’ directed by Sherma Dastoor, ‘City of Photos’ directed by Nishtha Jain, ‘The House on Gulmohar Avenue’ directed by Samina Mishra, ‘New (Improved) Delhi’ directed by Vani Subramaniam and ‘Maley Gaon Key Sholey’ directed by Nitin Sukhija.
An open house discussion was also held at the auditorium in which students asked important questions with regard to camera handling and filmmaking. Joshi apprised students with the various aspects of filmmaking with minimum resources and the optimum utilisation of sunlight and tubelight. She also gave lessons on blur and sharp images in filmmaking.
About 20 students who had passed a pre-test for taking lessons in film making, were allowed to take part in the workshop.
