Directors Of Rare Language Films In Indian Panorama Section Address The Media In IFFI Goa 2018.
Selected for the ICFT GANDHI UNESCO Medal competition, Walking With The Wind by Praveen Morchhale is also a national award winning film. “We did beautiful exploration of Ladakh for choosing the cast. We chose non-actors for our script. Role of carpenters, poets & other professionals were performed by local people in the region who were involved in respective professions, he added. He also pointed out that no background music was used in this film. Surround sound along with other natural sounds of winds & water breeze alone were used. Even then, it won national award for “Best Sound Design” & “Best Sound Mixing”, shared Praveen.
Made in language Tulu, spoken by only 2 lakh people film Paddayi directed by Abhaya Simha focuses on the perishing community system in Goa. “People survive on community living for their livelihood. With the growing ambition & greed in every community, the cracking of community system is reflected in the film. They lose their livelihood in changing political & cultural scenario. Paddayi (meaning western direction) symbolises the westernisation of culture eating the local culture. Involving emotions of ambition & greed, the story is a modern-day adaption of Shakespeare’s classic Macbeth & is applied to Tulu culture of fishing communities in South India.”
Laura Delli Coli, VP, Rome film festival, Francesca Via, General Manager Rome Film Festival & Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, eminent Indian director also interacted with the Media.
Addressing the press conference in IFFI 18, Laura Delli Coli, Vice President, Fondazione Cinema per Roma Foundation expressed to media the desire to collaborate with the International Film Festival of India. “Indian movies have a very special place in world cinema and that the Indian film industry has much to discover in Italy” said Laura.
Ms. Francesca Via, General Manager, Fondazione Cinema per Roma Foundation said that it is really important for Italy to make an engagement with the Indian Film Festival. “Rome Film Festival is supported by public & private institutions. We have a special section for the youth & films for student community. The public participation is going up by 2% – 3 % every year. Asia & Asian films are really important for us,” she said.
“I didn’t attend any film school; neither did I assist any director at the sets. There was a point when I didn’t even know who the world directors were. I discovered them while I was doing some edits. Since then they have been my masters”, said Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, remembering the Italian film maker Bernardo Bertolucci, who passed away on 26thNovember 2018.
The cast of closing film ‘Sealed Lips’ addresses the media Bernd Bohlich director of the film Sealed lips along with the cinematographer Thomas Plenert was present with the actress Barbara Schnitzlerother, “The inspiration of the film comes from the boundary that came into being after second world war. The partition of the country into 2 part East & West Germany changed life of people drastically. It talks about how the partition affected the lives of the people then. Those true incidents that took place in people’s lives inspired him to make the film sealed lips”, said the director Bernd Bohilch who has made the movie on his mother’s life.
“I was happy to shoot this movie because I am also from Germany and this is a story close to my heart. That time wasn’t easy & the story also talks about the emotions of people then. I am glad to work with him”, said Thomas Plenert, cinematographer of the film.
The Indian filmmakers from Non-feature film category of Indian Panorama then interacted with the media.
Directors of 3 non-feature films in Indian Panorama section of the International Film Festival of India addressed a press conference in Panaji, Goa. Jainendra Dost Director of Naach Bhikari Naach, Prasanna Ponde, Director of Silent Scream & Suhas Jahagirdar, Director of Yes I am Mauli attended the press conference.
Addressing the media, Jainendra Dost said that his film captures the lives of four Launda Naach performers, originally a part of Bhikhari Thakur’s legendary Naach troupe in Bihar. While researching for the film it was revealed that even dance forms in India have a class & caste divide. He also shared the difficulties faced while shooting for the film in village, “Though everywhere we met with problems, the attitude of the villagers was heart touching. They supported us with open mind”, he said.
Prasanna Ponde, Director of Silent Scream said that his film tries to portray the impact of divorce on children & the inner conflict it cause them. “After certain period of time & witnessing the emotional turmoil of their children, some parents even think that the divorce should have been avoided. The film is targeted at the parents but the theme presented may touch children too”, he said.
Narrating the experience of turning a personal experience on cell phone to a film, Suhas Jahagirdar said that he had no intention of making this documentary. “When I proceeded on the spiritual journey from Alandi to Pandharpur, many exciting things come up in between & they are all recorded in mobile. After coming back, the videos are shown to some friends & get a good reception. It was upon their suggestion that those videos are edited together to make a film”, he said.
The directors from the World Panorama section of IFFI 2018 also addressed the media.
Directors of the 5 films in the International Cinema category of the 49th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2018 – Iro, The Manslayer/The Virgin/The Shadow, Rage, Los Silencious & The Load also addressed a press conference.
Beatriz Seigner recalled her Indian films connection. She informed that she is one of the organisers of the Indian film festival in Brazil. Her 1st ever feature film Bollywood Dream – O Sonho Bollywoodiano (2009) was the 1st ever Indian- Brazilian film co-production. She had worked with Indian directors like Anurag Kashyap who helped her in getting co-producers from France & Columbia during the Cannes film screening of his film Gangs of Wasseypur.
The Load which is basically a road movie has different flavours like mystery, war scenes, drama, informed Ognjen Glavonic, director of the film. The story revolves around a man Vlada who works as a truck driver during the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999. Tasked with transporting mysterious load from Kosovo to Belgrade, he drives through unfamiliar territory, trying to make his way in a country scarred by the war.
Directed by Sulev Keedus, The Manslayer/The Virgin/The Shadow is a bilingual film in Estonian & Spanish based on 3 novella’s having characterisation of young women. The Director recalled that Estonian people used to watch Indian movies in Soviet times & continue to have connection to Indian films that are screened through film festivals.
Sérgio Tréfaut, Director of the Portuguese film Rage informed that his film is beautiful & intense visual story about people living under a dictatorship in southern Portugal’s countryside. It potrays hunger, misery & exploitation in 1950’s and the growing rage building up among the people against the exploitative regime. He said he portrayed the country-side totally in black & white to pay the tribute to the cinema & love of the people who are fighting against tyranny of adverse laws. It is a film about injustice & abusiveness of power, he added.
Hadi Mohaghegh director of Persian film Iro (Here) also narrated his experience about the film shooting in Iran. He also praised Indian talent in the film-making industry.
