Persistence Resistance: part II (the film critique)

As I promised, I am back with the Film review... The most important thing to be mentioned here is that its completely subjective and my personal view... 

Enjoy Reading...

(for those who haven't read the first part yet: http://writertj.blogspot.com/2011/04/persistence-resistance-published-after.html)

My Mother India

Directed by: Safina Uberoi

English (subtitled), 52min, 2001, Australia

My Mother India is a deeply moving, emotional and passionate movie, set in the backdrop of modern Indian history. The director of the film is a child of a mixed marriage, with Indian Sikh father and Australian modern mother. Apart from her parents, the film also portrays the contrasting characters of her grandparents, and her younger brother and sister, brought up, majorly in Australia. This film is based on the multicultural family, the transition of generations, and the social, political and religious events of the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 which tore the family apart.

The story has been carefully and very skilfully weaved, with the use of first person narrative, and interviews with other family members. The story begins with an introduction to the family members and their lifestyle. It takes us back to the pre-independence and independence era, and the Indo-Pak division, and the coming of their family from Lahore to Punjab (the part of independent India). This highlights the atrocities faced by her grandmother, and thus the reason behind her (grandmother’s) hatred towards her grandfather. A clear picture of the patriarchal society, and the position and condition of a woman in it, is drawn. Interview with the lady herself, her grandmother, shows the deep agony she feels and lives, and the hatred she nurses for her husband. Various instances have been narrated which support her argument and compel us to empathize with her.

The story slowly transits to her parents’ life, how they met and got into this intercontinental bond of marriage. Her mother’s perspective has been shown and given emphasis: What she feels about living in India, and being a part of an Indian family. We find that she is happily settled in her own small Indian world, and seldom wishes to go to Australia, and she is actually so engrossed here that she doesn’t really want to return ever. She refuses to visit one of her family member’s funeral, which shows how deeply she feels associated with India.

But this bond turns out to be one sided and is harshly stirred when the then prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi is assassinated by her Sikh body guards, following the Golden temple “blue star operation” incident. The family, especially the Mother goes through immense mental torture and starts questioning her identity. She feels sad to associate herself with India, and thrives to explore her nationality through self-introspection. This is evoked by her husband trying to find his own identity as a Sikh, or rather an Indian Sikh. The questions raised are: whether Sikhs are really a part of India? Does one incident outcast the whole Sikh community? Do they consider themselves Indians when India doesn’t consider them so?

In the course of events, the grandfather dies a rather emotionally unstable and painful, and ugly death. Her grandmother “triumphs”. She “outlived” him. These are some of the expressions used to show the mental trauma that her grandmother is in, not because of her husband’s death, but since her early ages and due to the mental and physical abuse she faced.

The rest of the story unveils the endeavours of the Mother in surviving, as an Indian, and protecting her children by sending first her son, and then the younger daughter to Australia, and later finally the director also. The rebellious step of sending the son to Australia shows the strength she has. She doesn’t even consult her husband once, before sending her son off to a ‘different’ nation. The film ends with the usual “happy-ending” of Indian cinema, with the director getting married to an Indian Sikh, in a traditional wedding organised by her parents.

The theme and script are strong and compelling. You never really blink eyes once the family enters the turmoil. The narration is composed and effective. It almost transfers all the emotions over the audio, and combined with the extreme close up video shots, it involves you so much that you almost get a lump in your throat. The overall cinematography is excellent. No shot is out of place or without a meaning. The use of audio is also commendable. Sounds of moving train to show the transition, mobs to induce fear, sad musicals tunes to show the mental state of the family, are examples of the effective use of sound effects. Safina Uberoi makes sure that you are her fan after watching the movie, and start liking documentaries if you don’t yet.

Cast and Crew:

Producer: Penny McDonald     

Writer: Safina Uberoi

Director: Safina Uberoi

Editor:   Reva Childs                      

Cinematographer: Himman Dhamija

Production Manager: Jacqui North       

Production Manager (India): Himman Dhamija

Script Editor: Penny McDonald

Sound Recordist: P.M. Satheesh

Sound Designer: Penn Robinson

Sound Mixer: Tony Vaccher

Composer: Miroslav Bukovsky

Musicians: Miroslav Bukovsky, Sandy Evans, Tony Gorman, Sukhbir Singh, Greg Sheehan, Alistair Spence

Awards Won by the film:

• The Rouben Mamoulian Award, Dendy Awards – Sydney Film Festival 2002
• CRC Award, Dendy Awards – Sydney Film Festival 2002
• Script Writing Award, NSW Premier's Literary Awards 2002
• Best Long Form Documentary, Australian Teachers of Media Awards 2002
• Odyssey Award for Best Documentary, Real: Life On Film Festival 2002
• Jury Prize for Best Australian Documentary, Australian Film Critics Circle 2002
• Special Jury Award, Hawaii International Film Festival 2001
• Special Commendation, Mill Valley International Film Festival 2001
• Best Video Production, Melbourne International Film Festival 2001

Persistence Resistance: published after reluctance

From almost a long "inactive" phase (since May 2010 to March 2011), to suddenly hyperactive, my blog now shows an uneven graph of visitors and usage... glad that its at the peak at this moment, but the low lying areas make my heart sink... i remember posting the last post around, um, (oh, i don't exactly remember) a few weeks back... and since then, work (other than "writing") kept me occupied so much that i almost forgot that one needs to post stuff on the blog on a regular basis...

To end the drought, i am choosing an easier way out... publishing one of my drafts (which had been in pipeline for over two months)...

its a small story (yeah, a small "story", of perhaps 700 words, not a small write-up, one would say) about one of the fine days in my journalism and mass communication studies...   

I was asked to write a film critique on any one of the films screened at a film festival that we had attended once upon a time. there was a small irony, though; we were never taught to write one... "once upon a time" has relevance, which would be explained later, if i don't get another fit of short term memory loss...

Name of the film festival: Persistence Resistance 2011

Date, Venue & Timings: February 10, India International Centre, 10am-7.30pm

Films Screened/Seen: My Mother India, Fragments of History, The Other Song, Diamonds in Vegetable Market, Beware-Dogs, The Children of Pyre.

“Persistence Resistance: edge of visual narrative, as it is completely named, is a documentary film festival. In its fourth year, it came up with a new sub-title to draw attention to the independent documentary artists’ deep engagement with the narrative structure and cinema’s aesthetics, its language and form”, reads the second paragraph of preface of the hand book they gave us. Why I used such a discrete element from their two page long preface would be an obvious question. Well, these particular lines accurately define the event and its objective, so I thought, "I can’t begin in a better way".

I still  remember vividly every moment of the day. It was one such day in my journalism course that taught me more than last eighteen months classroom studies. Of course, my teachers would hate me for saying so, but with all due respect to each one of my “gurus”, I would like to justify my statement, by taking you straight to the day.

It was 9.30 in the morning when I, with two other friends, reached the IIC, at Lodhi Road. At the registration desk, we found two ladies, clad in traditional Indian Sarees, but (ironically) speaking fluent English. I was sure that we were going to witness something really special, particularly when one of them lit up a cigarette, and continued her conversation with the other lady. Without much adieu and after gaining all my courage and some good English words that my mind thought sounded stylish enough to be spoken to them, and with the most warm smile I ever gave anyone, I started enquiring about the festival, and the registration procedure. Soon I got a bolt from the blue. They required us to register online first, get a confirmation email, and then feel registered. All we knew was that some guy of our class has started up the “film-festival” conversation very casually and the rest forty of us had just joined in the long discussion that followed, to pass the remaining twenty five minutes of our class.

But we had to attend the festival. With passing time, people started coming, and unlike us, they were all registered. In fact, they didn’t need any registration as they were eminent and elite bunch of men and women, who were Directors, Writers, Photographers, Media personnel, or other intelligentsia. We started to feel out of place, but soon got comforted by seeing a hand full of students arrive. Two of them were from our college, and one of them was this guy, “hero” of yesterday’s class discussion but who seemed no less than a villain at this moment. But contrary to his appearance to us, he actually did some heroic, secret deal with some organisers, and we were allowed in.

Our hearts sank again as we entered the auditorium, the first film had already started. I asked a foreigner who was sitting behind me, about the duration of film we had missed, and she was kind enough to inform me that it had just begun. So, here began my actual expedition as I focused myself, and in my peculiar but unique gesture asked my friends not to disturb me. 

The movie was "My Mother India", by Safina Uberoi... A fantastic film set in the backdrop of modern Indian history, based on multicultural family, and how an event makes their lives a "survival task"...

My next post will give its review, so do visit again... 

(part II: http://writertj.blogspot.com/2011/04/persistence-resistance-part-ii-film.html)

Long Way Ahead

High Time for National Awakening... The Alarm has already rung, and heard by Us All... Now Shun laziness, and Wake Up, for Our Country, Our People, Our Future... Be aware, and Beware Others... Stop Cursing the Political Parties, Stand Against Them... Together WE can Liberate Ourselves...

Starting with Self is the Key, Be the Change You Wish to See...

WE v/s CORRUPTION

Did you watch the sensational India-Pakistan Semi-final in a Group?

Who wasn’t praying and cheering for the Indian Team, and who didn’t root for its victory ???

You certainly would have watched the final with family and friends, in Huge Groups, and registered each moment of History in making on 2^nd April, when India defeated Sri Lanka and became the World Champions after 28 years???

If you missed it, you would certainly have hit the streets at night, and celebrated the victory with fellow Indians???

If you participated in all these, then undoubtedly you have patriotism in your hearts, which beat for India.

Some more questions to re-assure the stated fact (that you are a true Patriot), and if you answer correctly, you can proudly call yourself True Indian Patriots...

1.       Do You Think India is really a Democracy (in the true sense of the word)???

[Hint: Democracy is a form of government in which all citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal (and more or less direct) participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law. It can also encompass social, economic and cultural conditions that enable the free and equal practice of political self-determination- Source: Wikipedia

In the words of Abraham Lincoln, it is: “Government of the People, By the People, and For the People”]

Note:

With an election seat costing in Crores (which of course, a common man can’t buy) and vote tampering (fake votes), the Govt, doesn’t seem of and by the people, from any perspective.

And for the people, um, after so many scandals, inflation, and 10 similar blemishes, no sensible person would say that our govt is “for the people”.

So, what’s your answer to the first question???

2.       Are you a person who has great respect for our freedom fighters and feel proud of being in a Nation with such Heroes??? Do you ever wish you could do any (significant or insignificant thing) for your Nation’s progress and Liberation???

[Hint: of course, we have heard of the great Rani Laxmi Bai, Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru, Sukhdev, and Chandrashekhar Azad, Lal-Bal-Pal, Nehru, Subash Chandra Bose, and Gandhi; and of course we are very proud and honoured to be living in a free nation.

Although our country is already free, and doesn’t need us as such, but still  if given a chance, WE would love to sacrifice ourselves for Her.]

Note:

A free nation, where corrupt people, rapists, thieves, and other Satans roam with impunity and in fact are supported by our law and govt, isn’t it a shame to sit with hands crossed? This is not the freedom for which the freedom fighters sacrificed their lives.

So, can you answer the second question now???

I hope a little introspection would have stirred your consciousness.

Why are WE living in such a non-democratic democracy, which is ironically, nothing more than a Dictatorship??? It is worse than the British; at least WE knew we were being enslaved, and had to fight against it. This Demon is robbing us in disguise, andWE choose to remain asleep, despite being undergoing a nightmare.

Seeing Egypt liberated, and Libya on the way to it, WE certainly have started realizing that even WE will have to wake up one day, then Why Not TODAY??? Whywait??? Are WE expecting Kalki, avatar of Lord Vishnu to arrive for our support??? And have WE forgotten that God helps only those who help themselves???

India Needs You, be the FREEDOM FIGHTERS, and Liberate Her and Yourself. IfWE could gather in large groups, for watching and celebrating our Indian Cricket team, then WHY Not for INDIA???

WHY pay More Taxes??? WHY face INFLATION??? Why SUFFER while Evil Prospers???

. . . when WE can COMBAT it???

            We are ready, are YOU???

Support US, as We Support Anna Hazare, and see the triumphant finale to hisCivil Strife against the biggest Social Evil: CORRUPTION