Multiple screenings and red carpet appearances at Cannes may seem to be taking the competitive edge off our films and making it tougher for indies to push real content. Team Viva wonders if the glut of marketing gimmicks is robbing our films of seriousness
Did you know that apart fromSarbjit and Raman Raghav 2.0, about 14 Indian short films were screened at Cannes this yearIJ Is the Riviera outing then all about notching up numbers and red carpet appearances than qualityIJ Or is it that short films are an easy excuse to gloss over the lack of full length features in the competitive sectionIJ
“It is great that screenings are increasing by the year — it only means we are becoming more globally acceptable,” said Neeraj Gheywan, director of Masaan. Breaking the myth that producers buy their way into the prestigious format, he explained, “People tend to judge easily that higher numbers of entries mean it is an easy game. But the process is slightly different. True, the festival is a free market and you can pay to get your film screened. There is, however, a special Director’s jury that selects the movies. If you don’t make the cut there, no way will your movie be screened. Raman Raghav 2.0 is not part of the competitive section but it has got rave reviews nevertheless. There are various ways of getting rated.”
Irrespective of whether there was money involved, the amount of exposure that Indian cinema is getting only gives credence to our creativity. “Gudh (a film by SRFTI alumni Saurav Rai) was purely chosen on merit while the rest of the short films just about made the cut,” he added.
Piyush Puty, still riding high on winning the National Award for his non-feature film Amdavad Ma Famous, believes that multiple screenings are the need of the hour. “Compared to international film festivals, those at home do not have so many categories to accommodate various genres. As filmmakers, we want to reach out to as many people as possible all over the world. These festivals only provide us with more opportunities to present varied content.”
He didn’t agree that short films are a ruse to sell creativity. “Digital filmmaking has made it easier for people to experiment with shorts and ideas. Perhaps that is why they are coming to the fore. Yes, they are a stepping stone because everybody makes short films in the West regardless of pedigree. Shorts are a democratic space for independent expression,” he pointed out.
He also felt that international film festivals are a big learning ground for directors and actors alike and they should not be judged for trying to get in through subjective entry points. “These festivals are the perfect place to understand what is happening in the world and how the entertainment industry is changing. It is like a huge learning workshop,” Puty pointed out.
But one close look at the list of movies being screened and one would realise that only movies with a strong financial backup have made the cut whereas plenty of movies with far stronger content have been left behind. Something that worries film critic Aruna Vasudeva. “These days Bollywood filmmakers are using Cannes as a marketing platform. Stars walking the red carpet have now converted a much revered venue into an effective promotional tool. Our small budget films and young filmmakers can hardly come up with the necessary funding or lobbying. Cannes should become a hub of meaningful cinema too. In this process of merchandising tussle, quality is being given the short shrift. Also the marketing logic has driven out the need to enter the competitive section and demand appreciation, like it used to be in the good old days,” she argued.
We also got through Vikram, producer of Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s movie Memories and my Mother, an official selection at the Cannes l’Atelier programme. This programme selects 15 of the most promising projects from around the world every year and help in speeding up the production process among other things. Interestingly, one can’t apply for this at random and would have to be handpicked from a comparative assessment of projects from around the world. This is only the fourth Indian and first ever Bengali film selected. “I think we are in a very good phase where people are genuinely looking for more Indian voices. India is becoming the focus and there is no better platform to be in other than an international one,” said Vikram, not forgetting to mention that Indian films are still, sometimes, pre-conceived as being only of song and dance. “But we have come a long way and established ourselves at a point where we are recognised globally and accepted,” he added.
Acceptance is one thing but acceptance of true excellence is what filmmakers should look for. Otherwise, the Indian film industry will just be reduced to wrongly-captioned photo-ops on social media.