Voices from the Waters - Day One
Just returned from the Day One of Voices from the Waters 2007: Second International Film Festival on Water. It is the Biggest Water Film Festival in the World, to be done the first time here in Bangalore.
There is an amazing line up of films for the festival, including documentaries, short films, feature length films, installation art, paintings based on the central theme of Water, from all parts of the world.
The first film I saw was called 1000 Days and a Dream, a film based on the campaign of the farmers of Plachimada District in Kerala against the potent threat of the Coca Cola Company, which has been destroying their fresh water sources since the plant’s inception in 2003.
I did not think much of the film, except that it would appeal to someone who is more into issue-based/activist art. The film did amazingly well to capture the events as they unraveled during the rebellion, but it was highly univocal, considering that it never presented the corporate side of the entire issue. It is more of a film which would attract a standing ovation from the activist circles. Which made me go back to the question- what makes a perfect documentary?
The second film was Zone of Initial Dilution by a French director, Antoine Boutet, shot in the Three Rivers Dam in China. Now this was some film for me. It had everything that you normally would not find in a documentary/short feature: freeze frames, the complete lack of a voice over, zero attempt to ‘explain’ the issue to the viewer, play with words to carry the film forward (blank titled slides spliced into the freeze frames). I guess the presence of all these factors still did not take away the film’s effect. It was resoundingly pure to the core, it grows on you with its monotonous approach. The contrasting play between the images of a waste land, destructed for the growing needs of urbanization and the urban hoi-polloi completely indifferent of the goings-around.
I would say this film set the ball rolling for the quality of films that are coming.
Next was Satyajit Ray’s Ganashatru, which is essentially a social commentary on the conflict between the rationalist approach and religious fascism. Two brothers fight over the issue of contamination of water available as ‘charanamrita’ to the patrons in a hugely revered temple. One is the doctor/scientist played by Soumitra Chatterji and the other is the Director of the Municipality Commission, played by my favorite actor, Dhritimaan Chatterji. It is pointless mentioning Ray’s characteristic and commanding hold over the narration, his brilliant sense of casting, and his ways of depicting the eternal ‘questioner’ in the society. i would not call in an essential Ray, but the way it gelled with the festival’s theme was simply mesmerizing for the cause that is being supported.
The inaugaration was followed by the invocation film, Window facing the Sun, a quintessential Iranian tour de force, with its trademark poetic irony in place.
The day ended with a remarkable film by Kesang, a Nepalese director, whose film, We Corner People, was a fresh take on the plight of a small community living in a remote hillside somewhere north of Kathmandu, torn between the Maoists and local authorities. Fresh because, you would expect such a theme would largely be a sad, depressing capture with lots of voice over and sympathizing elements. Not this one. All through the film, you had smiling villagers, smiling through their painful reminiscence of how they lost a village girl to the swollen rivers (the river took her away), smiling through the tryst of building a bridge in the valley with little help from an enterprising engineer, smiling through their struggles with poverty and a village which battles a tough dilemma between religion and survival, their experiments with exorcising the spirits of the past.
And yet all through this and more, you had a winning spirit creating a world of sacred emotion, happy in its existence. In one of the interviews, a beaten up construction worker says, “we exist in a corner, of the world. If not here, I don’t know where would I live? This is my world, yes, this corner of the world”
A compelling work. I met Kesang later and was surprised to see the similarity between my feedback and the one he gets wherever he goes with the film, “your film made me smile” .
A few ‘star-struck’ moments happened as well; my friend introduced me to Anwar Jamaal, who has come with his multi-award winning film, Swaraaj. I mentioned about PFC to him,
Me: Sir, PFC is more of a contemporary film movement. We have professional and amateur film fanatics all over the world, including an exclusive feature for stalwarts from the industry.
Anwar: Who all are there from the industry?
Me: Well, to begin with, we have Anurag Kashyap,…
Anwar: Oh, Anurag! I worked with him in Delhi.
Me: ok, then we have Sudhir Mishra…
Anwar: I stay with Sudhir….
(this was it! I dropped my cigarette and ran for cover!)
Other ‘celebrities’ in the event included Girish Karnad, Girish Kasaravalli and Nandita Das, who inaugurated the festival. When my friend, Siddharth, who is the organizer of the festival(being from Bangalore Film Society) and author on PFC, introduced me as “this is Tushar, he is the biggest film buff in town, and will sign you up for his film in a couple of years”, I had my second wtf moment of the day.
Looking forward to Day 2….
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Wow. Sounds fun. Water festival! Very innovative concept. 1000 Days and a Dream is a good film. We screened it at IFFLA in April on Earth Day as part of our Eco Vision program. Had a pretty solid turnout and good response as well. It is very interesting that this fest is showcasing older documentaries as well. How is the turnout? Do you see good diversity in the crowd? Looking forward to reading more on it.
Haan Vijay Bhai, it is simplay amazing, I had less or no expectations, considering the response for such festivals in Bangalore.
Like I said, 1000 Days is a film that wouldnt go without a good response, its a mirror of the plight of those farmers as they chose to fight than surrender to the brownies thrown at them. I wanted to ask the director some controversial questions though, but seeing the response, I am glad I didnt.
The turnout is simply awe-inspiring, I have never seen Guru Nanak Bhavan, the regular venue for such events, filled to its capacity. We also had a post-party where the entire media was there, and I was introduced as the PFC guy everywhere, more than half the people I never thought know about PFC.
It would take me more time to say about the diversity, as many might have come for the star factor, being the inaugaral day, but as more(and better) films come along, I would be in a better position to comment on that.
Thanks for the prompt reply, I kind of anticipated it
Forgot to mention, met DaKshin Bajrange, the founder of Bhudan Theater in Gujarat. He has come with his film, The Lost Water(to be screened tomorrow). He is assisting Rakesh Sharma in his next project. had a world of stories to tell about how art derives from life in Gujarat.
Tushar lucky u…
Very honest post.. loved this ….
Can’t wait for Day 2.
And by the way saw Swaraj at siri fort audi in delhi when it got the National award (the same year Kannathil got it).It was a real nice film about the village-caste-women-water disputes.
See if you can get him aboard… He’s also from my college (Jamia millia islamia - Mass comm)
[...] Two was more of a realization for me of the how
Haha…Nice article Tushar…
But for someone like me…what does ” Water Film Festival” Mean by the way?
Isnt there anyone else from PFC in Blore?
haaila, ye to maine socha hi nahi.
I will ask them tomorrow and come, OM.
OM - i think there’s one guy called siddarth pillai and another guy - Lawrence
We need an ‘OM’ on the B’lore PFC front
Siddharth to mera friend hai, I guess KK told me once about Lawrence.
Comments from Kesang, director of We Corner People:
I read parts of coverage! Good stuff. Yours and others’ comment about the ‘happy nepalis’ made me wonder whether it wasn’t about how you might see the Other Nepali - because there is a difference, without judgement. A case could be made that hill Nepalis, like those in my film, are of a more robust temperament, with a discernibale resilience, with a tendency to shrug off worries….even though it is hard to make such ‘essentialist’ arguments…I know what you mean though.
The other thing is, someone said, they don’t LOOK poor, and again, some basis to it: people in the mountains are going to have boots of some kind, thick clothing, hats maybe….which suggests a kind of surplus…as opposed to, say, a poor person in the hot plains will have the barest, minimalist cloth, slippers, just not appear padded with things you have to buy!
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