MESSAGE FROM MANIPUR

“Today is a very special day for me. This is my first debut feature film. My mom is also here,” said Haoban Paban Kumar, director of ‘Loktak Lairembee’ (2016), before the IFFI 2016 screening of his debut feature. His comments were received with exuberant applause from the large Manipuri contingent which had turned out to cheer their friend.

“I always talk about contemporary issues in Manipur,” Kumar told The Peacock. An experienced documentary maker, his work includes ‘Phum Shang – Floating Life’ (2015) and ‘AFSPA, 1958’ (2016). ‘Loktak Lairembee’ (The Lady of the Lake) draws from his previous work with the unique fishing community that lives on islands of floating biomass called ‘phumdis’ on the Loktak lake. The director’s long association with his subjects helped. Kumar says, “I did the documentary first, spending ten years building a relationship with these people. Now my actors are from the same community.”

A graduate of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Calcutta, but now based in Imphal, Kumar still hopes for a “European premiere.” On prodded for the reason, he says, “for the career. Nowadays it is necessary. Otherwise how will people know about it [the plight of the people in his film]?” The world premiere of ‘Loktai Lairembee’ was in South Korea, at Busan International Film Festival. “That was really an opening, and besides that the film was also well received at MAMI (Mumbai Academy of Moving Image).” Also, “Kolkata was crazy man! There was no place to stand. I had to watch the film from the projection room.”

Going it alone is not easy. Kumar says “my mother, aunt, wife, I and my friends fund my films. My family supports me. Independent cinema is difficult. A documentary is a bit different, it doesn’t need a lot of money. But when you make an independent fiction film everyone expects quality – in sound, for instance – and that needs money.”

About social tensions in strife-torn Manipur, the young director thinks things have deteriorated, “individualism is creating a problem. Now it is like, ‘I want my space’. It has to do with modernization, I think, and I am trying to address this in my next project.” The director used to believe the assertion of tribal identities was a positive factor, but now it is proving problematic. These are the issues he will address in his next project, which Kumar says may be the first film in India to talk about ethnic identity and conflict.

(A version of this article was first published in The Peacock, 27 November, 2016) 

“HUMAN RIGHTS ARE FOR ALL HUMANS” TAMARA ADRIÁN

The first transgender person ever to be elected to the Venezuelan National Assembly is in Goa. Tamara Adrián, on whose life ‘Tamara’ (2016) is based, was voted into office last year. Even so recently into her term, Adrián has mixed-feelings. “It is very peculiar,” she laughs, asking The Peacock to highlight ‘peculiar’. “We have nothing normal in Venezuela. We are facing one of the worst economic and political crises.”

Adrián is understandably dejected. Venezuela is living a horror story, in the midst of an unprecedented economic and social crisis that has resulted in extraordinary hardship. Despite the largest petroleum reserves in the world, and billions of dollars of annual income from oil exports, the South American country has suffered a precipitous decline in standard of living and human development. The average Venezuelan has lost between five and fifteen kilos in weight over the past year due to an extended food crisis.

‘Tamara’ is about transphobia. This meant facing down rigid Catholic morality alongside multiple financial and political problems. The film’s director, Elia Schneider says, “it is very sensitive because the cultural and religious environment in Venezuela makes it difficult for people to engage with the film. But I don’t want heroes and villains, I just want to discuss the issue.”

Along with and Schneider, ‘Tamara’ lead actors Luis Fernández and Prakriti Inti Maduro Martin (the lead actors) have joined producer Joseph Novoa at IFFI 2016. Fernández spoke at length about how ‘Tamara’ connected India with Venezuela. “In India and Venezuela we are struggling with human rights – rights of women, children, gays, and lesbians,” he said, “human rights are for all humans!” He added, “this is the most remarkable story. I feel privileged to be a part of the film. I feel very proud of it.”

In the movie, “forty percent is reality, and sixty percent is fiction,” says Adrián, “but the sixty percent is not fiction in the essential sense. It is also the story of many other trans persons. And I think besides some cultural differences, the problems [of trans persons] across the world are the same – of violence against them, no employment, a lack of proper identity. They have to fight for equal rights.”

‘Tamara’ deals with vexed issues of alternate sexualities and gender identities. Perhaps predictably, it earned a mixed reception at IFFI 2016. “It was interesting. I did not know Indians had a problem with nudity,” says Fernández, “but there was also a welcoming of the issues in the film.” Martin agreed, “the audience was very engaged with the story. Many were glad and had a lot of questions.”

Earlier, Schneider says, she was not fully aware of the stereotypes and problems that trans persons face. “I didn’t know about this. I started this film as an adventure. For me the transgender is like any other kind of minority. I wanted to know and see what the reality was.”

(A version of this article was first published in The Peacock, 27 November, 2016)

LONG ROAD AHEAD FOR AZERBAIJANI CINEMA

Mobbed by adoring crowds, Tahmina Rafaella the lead in ‘Inner City’ (2016), manages to make a crucial point that the film is also about the “inner city” of a person’s life. Rafaella, along with her parents, was present at the screening of the film, which she co-wrote and produced. The constant demands of selfies both inside and outside the IFFI multiplex did not stop Rafaella from opening up about Azherbhaijan, her country, and the films there. In a brief conversation with The Peacock, Rafaella gives a brief glimpse into the beautiful country of Azerbhaijan.

“It’s a very special film. I wanted to show the society how women can be different,” she asserts. The film uses the metaphor of a labyrinthine city (shot in the capital, Baku) to show the lives of women, against the backdrop of Azerbaijani society as well as the military conflict in the country. Rafaella, only 21 years old is leading her country’s film industry with her effort in ‘Inner City’. Besides ‘Inner City’, Rafaella has also worked in ‘The Blacklist’ (2013) and ‘Guilt’ (2016).

“It is a very European society,” she says of Azerbaijan, “in the sense that women can wear the clothes they like, even date guys. But underneath there are strong social pressures regarding expectations of marriage and profession.” For instance, the choice of getting into movies as a writer, director or actor – a choice that Rafaella herself made – is not very popular in Azerbaijan, she informs dejectedly.

Rafaella also gives a glimpse of the film industry in Azerbaijan. “They are trying to develop. We have no film with depth,” she states. Films in Azerbaijan are either “art house” films or made for the box office.

Cinema is not considered a “serious” business in Azerbaijan. It is not just women in cinema, but men too face social pressures, Rafaella emphasizes. Getting into professions such as medicine (which Arzu, the lead hopes to study), or working for an oil firm (also depicted in the film) are considered as conforming to the expectations of society. “Nobody makes money making films in Azerbhaijan,” she laughs.

The film as much as about inner struggles is also about “social pressures.” As a country Azerbaijan too faces certain pressures. Its bid to enter the European Union, and the challenges that it brings are reflected in the film. In an Orhan Pamuk-esque sense, Azerbaijan is trying to find a balance between European values and the country’s more traditional values. “They are trying to get into the European mold. They have the resources, such as money,” she informs. “But here is a long way to go,” she indicates hopefully. The film is also about negotiating the pulls of contrasting value systems. Indeed, the film switches between depicting Baku’s modern buildings and its old architecture.

What does this mean for the future of Azerbaijani cinema industry? “If the industry involves the right people and take risks, make more useful films, bring in a young point-of-view then there is a lot of potential,” she concludes on a hopeful note.

 (A version of this article was first published in The Peacock, 25 November, 2016)

“BEING INDEPENDENT IS EMPOWERING” MEENA LONGJAM

An engaged audience discussed a hot IFFI 2016 topic, ‘The Scope and Challenges for the Independent Film-Maker’ at the sprawling water-front Kala Academy complex on Nov 23rd. The session was hosted by Open Forum, now a popular annual fixture at India’s largest and most prestigious film festival. The series is organized by the Federation of Film Societies in collaboration with the Directorate of Film Festivals and the Entertainment Society of Goa.

Yesterday’s panel included Rajeev Shinde, the filmmaker from Goa whose ‘K Sera Sera’ (2016) is the only Konkani film screened as part of the Indian Panorama 2016, Pierre Filmon, the French director of ‘Close Encounter with Vilmos Zsigmund’ (2016), the actor and Indian Panorama 2016 jury member Rama Vij, Hyderabad-based director of ‘Parampara’ (2014) Madhu Mahankali, and Meena Longjam, from Manipur, who made ‘Auto Driver’ (2015).

On a warm and balmy afternoon overlooking the slow-flowing Mandovi river, the panelists shared their experiences of being independent filmmakers, and the challenges faced in making and distributing their work. “Being independent is empowering,” said Longjam, “And I think with all the empowerment there are challenges. To me this is independent filmmaking.”

Despite financial difficulties that go along with independence, all the participants stressed how important passion becomes in the process of making an indie film.

Shinde believes the wide availability of talent and training means good films can be made with a small budget, “I am a teacher at the Goa College of Fine Arts. For my film the students have done the art direction, VFX, and such other things,” he says proudly. But “just being a story-teller is not enough,” he stressed, there is a need for skillful marketing, and the use of technology to “take your films to the public.”

Filmon underscored the importance of technology – like the internet – for independent filmmakers to reach out to their audiences. “You have to build a community that will help you. It doesn’t matter how, but connect with [other] people. Making the film is just the beginning.”

Mahankali explained “if you are competing with the mainstream films you are in for a struggle.” He recommends theatres with reasonably priced tickets which could gamble on independent films, saying “in this age it is very important for independent funding houses to help out”.

Vij, primarily an actor, agreed with the panel of directors that passion should come first. “If you want to tell a story just plunge into it. I think we should be courageous enough to just do it.”

(A version of this article was first published in The Peacock, 24 November, 2016) 

“OLLI HIMSELF SAID THAT IT WAS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF HIS LIFE” J. P. PASSI

Though shot in black and white, the Finnish film ‘The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki’ (2016) is full of sparkle and color. Its cinematographer, J. P. Passi told an amused screening audience at IFFI 2016, “though your Bollywood has much color and dance, this film of ours has very little dance, and no color!”

Passi is based in Riihimäki, 70 kilometers from Helsinki. In conversation with The Peacock about his biopic featuring little-known Finnish boxer, Olli Mäki and his wife Raija, he said “they are lovely people. Olli was very polite and always acted like a gentlemen towards his opponents. He never wanted to knock them out.” Now the real-life Olli and Raija have become big fans of the movie (in which they make a brief appearance on screen), “they go to watch it every time they get an opportunity.”

Though Mäki lost a much-hyped bout to the American Davey Moore in 1962, you have to watch the film to find out why he doesn’t regret it. “Olli himself said that it was the happiest day of his life,” Passi explains.

92 minutes long, the black and white feast has generated an unlikely global interest in Finnish films.

“Our industry is small,” says Passi, “particularly compared to India. We have about 20 premieres to your 2000 every year.” It is not surprising, therefore, that “nobody gets rich” in Finland making movies. Even within Europe, Passi admits that Finland – and therefore Finnish cinema – is marginal, “we are a small country and a bit isolated.” But that also has advantages, as political turmoil in Europe doesn’t have much direct impact. “I don’t know about the future,” he declares, “that’s the great thing about the future.”

Passi isn’t a big fan of the Finnish film industry. “I am not that interested in Finnish films. Most of them suck,” he says, “I have to be honest, many of them are childish.” According to him, most films in Finland are blatantly commercial, “I feel that I am not a part of the Finnish industry”. This means freedom from formula, so that ‘The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki’ could focus “on the most humiliating part of Olli’s career. We felt that this was the most interesting part.”

(A version of this article was first published in The Peacock, 23 November, 2016)