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Amidst all the wonderful discussions about indie movies, we haven’t quite had the opportunity to talk about what is in my opinion, one of the best indie films this year - The Pool. If the credits were deleted, one would never in the wildest of their imagination believe that this is an American movie. Independent documentary filmmaker Chris Smith, famous for the award-winning doc American Movie, makes his narrative feature-film debut with an unusual piece of work that is simple, yet captivating and heartwarming.

The Pool is a Hindi-language film set entirely in Goa that tells the story of Venkatesh Chavan, a bell-boy at a modest Panjim hotel. On his way to work every morning, Venkatesh takes time out to stare over the wall of a large uninhabited house at its swimming pool. Urged by his best friend Jehangir, Venkatesh finally decides one day to take the plunge and sneak in for a swim. To his suprise, the owner of the house returns with his daughter before he can do so. His curiosity instantly peaked by their frictional relationship, Venkatesh tries to develop a friendship with them.

Smith directs a cast comprised of mostly non-professional actors, most of whom play themselves, to marvellous performances. The only trained actors, the ever-so-reliable Nana Patekar as the home owner and Ayesha Mohan as his daughter also enact their parts with the film’s characteristic subtlety. The screenplay by Smith and co-writer Randy Russel is intimate and brilliant on character development. The Hindi dialogs are realistic and street-smart, a notable achievement considering the fact that they are delivered by untrained actors directed by a non-Hindi speaking director.

The lethargic pacing of the film in fact adds to its charm as one wants to stay with these wonderful characters, really hoping that they find what they are each looking for. Crisp, raw lensing accentuates Panjim’s calm, lazy environment, as we as viewers soak ourselves into Venkatesh’s world.

Simple and heartfelt, The Pool is the must-see indie of the year. Revealed at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, Chris Smith was awarded a special jury prize at the fest for singularity of vision. And an admirable vision it is, that of an outsider’s into a slice of our world, that seems fresh, but instantly familiar at the same time.

P.S. - Chris, by any long shot, if you are reading this, please make more movies in India. We PFC readers will pay your rent.

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