Eyes Of Latin America

Tomás GUTIÉRREZ Alea

---

---

Nationality: Cuban. Born: Havana, 11 December 1928. Education: Studied law at the University of Havana; attended Centro Sperimentale, Rome, 1951–53. Career: Worked with Cine-Revista newsreel organisation, late 1950s; following establishment of Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematograficos (ICAIC) by revolutionary government, began making documentaries, 1959; later collaborated with younger filmmakers, in keeping with ICAIC policy. Awards: Union of Writers of the URSS Award, Moscow International Film Festival, for Historias de la revolucion, 1961; Grand Coral—First Prize, for Tiempo de revancha, 1982; Grand Coral—First Prize, for Hasta cierto punto, 1983; Silver Berlin Bear Award and Teddy Award, Berlin International Film Festival, Golden Kikito, Gramado Latin Film Festival, ARCI-NOVA Award, FIPRESCI Award, Grand Coral—First Prize, OCIC Award, and Special Jury Award, Sundance Film Festival, for Strawberry and Chocolate, 1994; Grand Coral—Second Prize, shared with Juan Carlos Tabío, Havana Film Festival,

Tomás Gutiérrez Alea

1995, Jury Award, Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival, 1996, Golden Kikito, Gramado Latin Film Festival, 1996, and Latin America Cinema Award—Honorable Mention, Sundance Film Festival, 1996, all for Guantanamera. Died: Of lung cancer, Havana, 16 April 1996.

Films as Director:

1947La Caperucita roja; El Faquir

1950Una Confusión cotidiana

1953Il Sogno de Giovanni Bassain

1955El Mégano

1959Esta tierra nuestra (+ sc, ed)

1960Asamblea general; Historias de la revolución (Stories of the Revolution) (+ sc)

1961Muerte al invasor

1962Las Doce sillas (The Twelve Chairs) (+ sc)

1964Cumbite (+ sc)

1966La Muerte de un burócrata (Death of a Bureaucrat) (+ sc)

1968Memorias del subdesarrollo (Historias del subdesarrollo; Inconsolable Memories; Memories of Underdevelopment) (+ sc, ro)

1971Una Pelea cubana contra los demonios (A Cuban Fight against Demons) (+ sc)

1974El Arte del tabaco

1975El Camino de la mirra y el incienso

1976La Última cena (The Last Supper)

1977De cierta manera (One Way or Another) (+ sc); La Sexta parte del mundo

1979Los Sobrevivientes (The Survivors) (+ sc)

1984Hasta cierto punto (Up to a Certain Point; Up to a Point)

1988Cartas del parque (Letters from the Park) (+ sc)

1991Contigo en la distancia (Far Apart)

1993Fresa y chocolate (Strawberry and Chocolate)

1994Guantanamera (+ sc)

the man of malayam films

adoor gopalakrishnan

Satyajith Ray's role in revolutionising Indian cinema during 1950s with his first film Pather Panchali was taken-up by Adoor Gopalakrishnan in Kerala to create a drastic change in Malayalam cinema. Adoor's first film Swayamvaram (1972) pioneered the new wave cinema movement in Kerala.

While making films I am not concerned about strictly contemporary, day-to-day issues. Any good film has to survive the period of its making. It has to go beyond today to be relevant tomorrow. I am very particular about that. As a result these films also don't age, I hope. They remain contemporary.

It was his interest in drama, which lead Adoor to take up the direction course in 1962 at the FTII at Pune, thinking that it would help him to enhance his skills in stage productions. But there he found that stage plays and cinema are entirely different mediums.

Notable 'literary' films like Neelakuyil, Chemeen and Oolavum Theeravum produced before Adoor's first film, but all had the regular ingredients of popular cinema, highly dramatic plot and song-dance sequences. Swayamvaram was a rejection of all these populist formulas. This radically different film was reluctantly taken by the mass. Only a minority eagerly waiting for a change in this powerful medium welcomed the film.

Apart from his films, Adoor's major contribution towards introducing a new cinema culture in Kerala was the constitution of the first Film Society in Kerala, 'Chitralekha'. He also took active part in the constitution of 'Chitralekha', Kerala's first Film Co-operative Society for film production. These movements triggered a fresh wave of good films, often termed 'art films' by directors like Aravindan, P A Becker, K G George, Pavithran, Raveendran etc.

Before Swayamvaram Adoor had made his first short film The Myth of 50 Sec duration for a festival in Montreal. His second short film And Man Created was Chitralekhas first production. He also directed numerous documentaries for different government organisations before he started his first feature Swayamvaram.

All the ten films he directed, from Swayamvaram to Oru Pennum Randaanum, were screened at several International film festivals and won him several National and International awards. He won the British Film Institute award for Elepathayam. He also won National Film Awards four times and several State Film Awards. Adoor received the Padma Shree in 1984 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2006.

The Nation honoured Adoor for his valuable contributions to Indian cinema by awarding him the highest cinema award of India, the Dabasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2004.

the taste of death

crisis and whisper made by igmer burgman agreat director ever seen in the world he showed the taste of the death in this film

aparajito

Satyajit Ray, an Indian filmmaker and among the dozen or so great masters of world cinema, is known for his humanistic approach to cinema. He made his films in Bengali, a language spoken in the eastern state of India - West Bengal. And yet, his films are of universal interest. They are about things that make up the human race - relationships, emotions, struggle, conflicts, joys and sorrows.

The Master Storyteller

Satyajit Ray, the master storyteller, has left a cinematic heritage that belongs as much to India as to the world. His films demonstrate a remarkable humanism, elaborate observation and subtle handling of characters and situations. The cinema of Satyajit Ray is a rare blend of intellect and emotions. He is controlled, precise, meticulous, and yet, evokes deep emotional response from the audience. His films depict a fine sensitivity without using melodrama or dramatic excesses. He evolved a cinematic style that is almost invisible. He strongly believed - “The best technique is the one that’s not noticeable”.

Though initially inspired by the neo-realist tradition, his cinema belongs not to a specific category or style but a timeless meta-genre of a style of story telling that touches the audience in some way. His films belong to a meta-genre that includes the works of Akira Kurosawa, Alfred Hitchcock, Charles Chaplin, David Lean, Federico Fellini, Fritz Lang, John Ford, Ingmar Bergman, Jean Renoir, Luis Bunuel, Yasujiro Ozu, Ritwik Ghatak and Robert Bresson. All very different in style and content, and yet creators of cinema that is timeless and universal.

Impressive Oeuvre

Satyajit Ray’s films are both cinematic and literary at the same time; using a simple narrative, usually in a classical format, but greatly detailed and operating at many levels of interpretation.

His first film, Pather Panchali (Song of the little road, 1955) established his reputation as a major film director, winning numerous awards including Best Human Document, Cannes, 1956 and Best Film, Vancouver, 1958. It is the first film of a trilogy - The Apu Trilogy - a three-part tale of a boy’s life from birth through manhood. The other two films of this trilogy are Aparajito (The Unvanquished, 1956) and Apur Sansar (The World of Apu, 1959).

His later films include Jalsaghar (The Music Room, 1958), Devi (The Goddess, 1960), Teen Kanya (Two Daughters, 1961), Charulata (The Lonely Wife, 1964), Nayak (The Hero, 1966), Asani Sanket (Distant Thunder, 1973), Shatranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players, 1977), Ghare Baire (The Home and the World, 1984), Ganashatru (An Enemy Of The People, 1989) and Shakha Prashakha (Branches Of The Tree, 1991). Agantuk (The Stranger, 1991) was his last film.

Ray directly controlled many aspects of filmmaking. He wrote all the screenplays of his films, many of which were based on his own stories.

He designed the sets and costumes, operated the camera since Charulata (1964), he composed the music for all his films since 1962 and designed the publicity posters for his new releases.

In addition to filmmaking, Ray was a composer, a writer and a graphic designer. He even designed a new typeface. In 1961, he revived and continued to publish the Bengali children’s magazine “Sandesh”, which was founded by his grandfather Upendrakishore Ray .

EYES OF THE CAMERA

From the first talkie Indian film “Alam Ara” in 1931 to “Black” in 2005, the Indian film industry/ Bollywood has scaled new heights and witnessed drastic transformation. Bollywood as it is popularly known - holds the distinction of being the largest producer of films in the world. And this by no means a petty feat. Bollywood produces more number of films than Hollywood today .That describes how well and freely this tool of mass media and mass communication is being used in the largest democracy of the world which is also the most important emerging market economy along with. What makes film industry and film making such a thriving, ever in vogue industry? Film making is a creative pursuit at the core, which draws people by the hordes to its viewing. What makes this form of art so enchanting is that it does not cater to needs of people rather makes them live their dreams

through it .This is a medium of story telling effectively and creatively. A film is the most appealing and popular form of entertainment because it makes us live our emotions through other real people. It depicts our joys and sorrows, desires and weaknesses, hardships and strengths and makes them credible. It is a visible catharsis, giving us an emotional and entertaining support. Another aspect of film making that makes it a winning choice of entertainment is that it is an amalgam and outcome of numerous creative fields coming together. We may enjoy reading, music, dancing, acting, designing, etc as separate interests. But when the best of scripts, music, choreography and acts unite, the aesthetic value of the product is enhanced manifold. A good film is a wholesome act of human creativity in various forms at its best. Enhance it with a stroke of technological finesse and the result is a world class product. The film makers have now realized that art and technology cannot be kept disjointed for long. Technology and multimedia do not overshadow art; it complements and supplements the artistic vision. Special computerized effects are being integrated into film making to create a deeper impact. Newest possibilities of film making have emerged with the technological revolt. A complete new genre of animated film making is on the cards. Animation has always had a huge market in the West with high budget animated movies being successfully made and accepted by the audience. But the now the trend has crossed over to other markets as well. Though the industry is still in its nascent stage, the concept has been taken well. There has also been an impetus in the regional cinema entertaining millions of people around. Hollywood movies are accepted world wide. Bollywood has also adopted an International approach with bidding for Oscars. Lot of folk transcontinental music promoting the identity of particular places has been pouring in. Further with the world going global and the economy surging, Bollywood could not have ignored the changes for long. One of the much needed and impending change in Bollywood was to accord it the status of an industry so that it can corporatise itself and one day stand equal to Hollywood and other international film industries. For an industry with spiraling stakes in terms of both money and men, an entrepreneurial approach is of utmost importance to optimize the potential of people

and earn maximum rewards from the unrelenting efforts put in. With the breath of fresh film makers stepping in the industry globally there are corporate production houses coming up with a more savvy and professional outlook. A corporate working culture is making the industry more organized and well functioning. The budget of each movie is sky rocketing with extravagant sets, designer clothing, exquisite locations and high priced stars. But if this winning combination fails to ring the box office, it surely sounds a death knell for the producer. Insurance cover of movies is the latest and the wisest precaution against such death knells. Another encouraging response that has come up is from the financial institutions, venture capital funds, and private equity funds that are willing to lend for aspiring and promising film projects. These sweeping changes will structure the entire industry for a better and successful cause in the emerging economies. A consequence of this changing work pattern and style is that the films of today are being made for a wider audience across countries. Hollywood has been a leader in this field. There have been cases of films doing below average business in the local markets but catching the fancy of the overseas audience. Films are being made keeping in mind the global audience’s taste, cross-cultural backgrounds and new linguistic trends. There have been trend setters, crossing the geographical barriers and leading the art to a new level. Internet is playing a new great role in promoting films and their music through the Dvds’. Mobile phones are taking the music and ring tone downloads to great heights.

With a slew of new and young talents, both as actors and film makers, joining the band wagon, there is a strong and popular emergence of parallel cinema which goes beyond sheer entertainment. Scope and need for such meaningful cinema has grown with the expanding number of educated audience that looks for more than amorous entertainment in films. The issues they take up are contemporary, socially germane and important to be voiced. Hollywood, Bollywood and other international film industries have always exerted considerable influence on audience’s psyche. The sheen and shimmer of their life style has lured many a small town youths, giving them larger than life dreams. While some have made it to the top, others are completely lost in the Vanity Fair. They say tinsel town with its silver screen is not all roses and stars. Media has unearthed and showed the exploitative tactics and criminal links of the Page 3 people. In many cases characters are compromised, deals are struck and stars are created overnight as shown in many films and Tv shows. Behind this razzmatazz lies a world of filthy manipulations. While the media has publicized the distasteful flavor of the film industry, the youthful desires of fame and glamour still favor it substantially. With such tremendous influence of the film industry on the masses, it owes an obligation to them. The general public emulates the on screen character’s language, mannerism and attire. When the actors and film makers are showered with adulation, they have a social responsibility towards their admirers. Film making is an art that is entertaining millions of people, giving dreams to their eyes and temporary amnesia from the daily trials and tribulations of life. But when this entertainment becomes perverse, gory and decadent, the art is lost and what remains is a money spinning gimmick. It is not about passing the buck onto others but there is a greater responsibility on the media and film makers towards creating a more mature and healthy society for the simple reason that masses follow the opening day screens. The world is changing and so are the people. In these changing times, something has to be permanent and that is the sense of choosing between right and wrong.

There are definitely some film makers who have their soul placed rightly in their Body and Mind which directs their universal energies in creating some art which the society relishes for decades and salutes those art creators from the core of their hearts. Scott Adams said, “Creativity is allowing oneself to make mistakes. Art knows which ones to keep.” There is an exodus of creativity in our times, but art must come up with the same frequency for a more pleasant and tasteful entertaining world.

camera