Re: [Goanet] [GOABOOKCLUB] Peacock supports FTII students at IFFI
Well reflected and articulated Augusto. VJP On Nov 27, 2015 6:09 PM, "augusto pinto" wrote: > While the fact that an official organ of the IFFI, the Peacock was > subverted to promote an avowedly non-official cause is praiseworthy, there > is a larger issue involved which is disquieting. > > Such subversive activities happen essentially in regimes where repressive > measures are already in place. There was need for this during the Emergency > for instance. In the case of India, we are not some totalitarian state (as > yet officially) but we are a democracy and a republic and not (as yet) a > fascist dictatorship. > > We are also not a capitalist state like the USA where people have > internalized a state of mind where repression over other countries and > peoples is so natural they don't even realize they are doing this. In such > states the citizens pretend that 'all is well'. with themselves although > on the odd occasion (as in the case of a Snowden or a Julian Assange or > when some poor minority try to demonstrate) will the full force of the > repression be evident. > > What I'm struggling to say is: we all must be prepared to answer the > question: Quo vadis? > > Augusto > > > > On Thu, Nov 26, 2015 at 9:53 PM, V M wrote: > > > Thanks, Augusto. > > > > The entire essay/review 'The Peacock @ Court' is here: > > http://iffigoa.org/the-peacock-court (also attached below for ease of > > reading). > > > > In other Peacock articles (available via the same link) you will find > > lots of discussion about the Indian censor board, and censorship in > > other countries. It is (understandably) a hot topic at IFFI 2015, as > > is the FTII students situation, which this interviewee encapsulates > > nicely: > > http://iffigoa.org/permission-to-shoot-heer-ganjwala-speaks-out-on-ftii > > > > Plus, of course, lots of reviews, interviews, conversations with > > directors, and even this feature on the first-ever IFFI bookstore: > > http://iffigoa.org/first-ever-iffi-bookstore. Viva! > > > > Warm regards, > > > > VM > > > > > > The Peacock @ Court > > > > Have some pity for The Peacock editors! While the rest of you feast > > deeply from the prodigious banquet of cinema laid out at the 46th > > International Film Festival of India, we spend every waking hour > > hunkered deep in our spartan bunker poring over reams of text, sifting > > through piles of photographs, laying out page after page late into the > > night. > > > > But on the 24th, we grabbed a chance. Egged on by an ace cinephile on > > our team (like most of them, Suyash Kamat is so young it would only > > embarrass him to list his age), my colleagues Amol Kamat, José > > Lourenço and I trooped over to the multiplex for the sole IFFI 2015 > > screening of ‘Court’ (2014), the highly praised debut film by > > 28-year-old director Chaitanya Tamhane, which has recently been named > > India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Film award at this year’s > > Academy Awards. > > > > Most delegates at IFFI are likely familiar with ‘Court’. Widely > > heralded as a masterpiece, it debuted at the Venice International Film > > Festival where it won Best Film in the Horizons category, and Tamhane > > was awarded the Lion of the Future award. More prizes have come in a > > torrent: honours at Mumbai, Vienna, Antalya and Singapore film > > festivals, and Best Feature Film at the National Film Awards. The > > Hollywood Reporter crowned Tamhane “one of the world’s most > > accomplished and promising film-makers under 30.” > > > > At the IFFI 2015 screening, Amol, Jose and I quietly watched Tamhane’s > > unflinching wide-angle lens steadily absorb all the details, pathos > > and casual tyranny of judicial procedure in India, then similarly > > unhurriedly follow the characters out of the courtroom and back into > > the routines of their daily lives. The sheer, arresting quiet that > > distinguishes the movie, as well as the court proceedings, stands in > > stark contrast to the high drama of what is at stake: an obviously > > innocent man is being cruelly hounded by the state on patently false > > charges, and further afflicted by an absurd and out-of-date system of > > laws, wielded bluntly by policemen with no regard for procedure, and a > > deeply cynical prosecutor. > > > > Was it worth Amol, Jose and I missing two hours of crucial work time > > in the middle of our day (which resulted in our having to edit The > > Peacock till midnight) to see ‘Court’? Undoubtedly yes, because the > > movie resonates so strongly with the commentary and opinions that > > filters through every day to our desks at The Peacock. When the folk > > singer at the centre of the movie is dragged back in front of a judge > > yet again (on the verge of being found not guilty of previous charges) > > it is for “conspiracy to commit terrorism … by any means of whatever > > nature.” In other words, as the prosecutor says, “anything!” > > > > Similarly, over the past week, very many people intervi
Re: [Goanet] [GOABOOKCLUB] Peacock supports FTII students at IFFI
While the fact that an official organ of the IFFI, the Peacock was subverted to promote an avowedly non-official cause is praiseworthy, there is a larger issue involved which is disquieting. Such subversive activities happen essentially in regimes where repressive measures are already in place. There was need for this during the Emergency for instance. In the case of India, we are not some totalitarian state (as yet officially) but we are a democracy and a republic and not (as yet) a fascist dictatorship. We are also not a capitalist state like the USA where people have internalized a state of mind where repression over other countries and peoples is so natural they don't even realize they are doing this. In such states the citizens pretend that 'all is well'. with themselves although on the odd occasion (as in the case of a Snowden or a Julian Assange or when some poor minority try to demonstrate) will the full force of the repression be evident. What I'm struggling to say is: we all must be prepared to answer the question: Quo vadis? Augusto On Thu, Nov 26, 2015 at 9:53 PM, V M wrote: > Thanks, Augusto. > > The entire essay/review 'The Peacock @ Court' is here: > http://iffigoa.org/the-peacock-court (also attached below for ease of > reading). > > In other Peacock articles (available via the same link) you will find > lots of discussion about the Indian censor board, and censorship in > other countries. It is (understandably) a hot topic at IFFI 2015, as > is the FTII students situation, which this interviewee encapsulates > nicely: > http://iffigoa.org/permission-to-shoot-heer-ganjwala-speaks-out-on-ftii > > Plus, of course, lots of reviews, interviews, conversations with > directors, and even this feature on the first-ever IFFI bookstore: > http://iffigoa.org/first-ever-iffi-bookstore. Viva! > > Warm regards, > > VM > > > The Peacock @ Court > > Have some pity for The Peacock editors! While the rest of you feast > deeply from the prodigious banquet of cinema laid out at the 46th > International Film Festival of India, we spend every waking hour > hunkered deep in our spartan bunker poring over reams of text, sifting > through piles of photographs, laying out page after page late into the > night. > > But on the 24th, we grabbed a chance. Egged on by an ace cinephile on > our team (like most of them, Suyash Kamat is so young it would only > embarrass him to list his age), my colleagues Amol Kamat, José > Lourenço and I trooped over to the multiplex for the sole IFFI 2015 > screening of ‘Court’ (2014), the highly praised debut film by > 28-year-old director Chaitanya Tamhane, which has recently been named > India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Film award at this year’s > Academy Awards. > > Most delegates at IFFI are likely familiar with ‘Court’. Widely > heralded as a masterpiece, it debuted at the Venice International Film > Festival where it won Best Film in the Horizons category, and Tamhane > was awarded the Lion of the Future award. More prizes have come in a > torrent: honours at Mumbai, Vienna, Antalya and Singapore film > festivals, and Best Feature Film at the National Film Awards. The > Hollywood Reporter crowned Tamhane “one of the world’s most > accomplished and promising film-makers under 30.” > > At the IFFI 2015 screening, Amol, Jose and I quietly watched Tamhane’s > unflinching wide-angle lens steadily absorb all the details, pathos > and casual tyranny of judicial procedure in India, then similarly > unhurriedly follow the characters out of the courtroom and back into > the routines of their daily lives. The sheer, arresting quiet that > distinguishes the movie, as well as the court proceedings, stands in > stark contrast to the high drama of what is at stake: an obviously > innocent man is being cruelly hounded by the state on patently false > charges, and further afflicted by an absurd and out-of-date system of > laws, wielded bluntly by policemen with no regard for procedure, and a > deeply cynical prosecutor. > > Was it worth Amol, Jose and I missing two hours of crucial work time > in the middle of our day (which resulted in our having to edit The > Peacock till midnight) to see ‘Court’? Undoubtedly yes, because the > movie resonates so strongly with the commentary and opinions that > filters through every day to our desks at The Peacock. When the folk > singer at the centre of the movie is dragged back in front of a judge > yet again (on the verge of being found not guilty of previous charges) > it is for “conspiracy to commit terrorism … by any means of whatever > nature.” In other words, as the prosecutor says, “anything!” > > Similarly, over the past week, very many people interviewed by us at > IFFI expressed grave concern and dismay about random and arbitrary > application of serious charges, and routine misuse of the machinery > of the state, to silence diversity in the arts. Almost everyone we > talked to wanted to publicly express disagreement with la
