Bars and Tones is a collective of young filmmakers interested in social and political themes
INFORMED M.S. Prakash Babu’s
Bangalore is once again becoming haven for novel artistic experiments. While there are number of art galleries thronging up in the city core, reflecting the renewed interest in the fine arts, Badami house well known for the preview shows of commercial movies, is fortunately providing space for many amateur and professional film makers interested in the social and political themes. Recently, a film show of small but unusual films were screened by the film collective Bars an
d Tones.
A total of nine movies produced by three young film makers were screened. While the producer-director of first two movies M.S. Prakash Babu is well-known in the circles of off beat film makers, the other two film makers, N.A.M. Ismail and Abhaya Simha, also impressed the small, but informed crowd with their technical and editing skills, knowledge of the language of the medium and the choice and commitment to the theme.
The first two films, “Madhyanhada Haadu” (Afternoon Song, 18 minutes) and “Mungaara Mugilu” (Monsoon Cloud, 12 minutes) by M.S. Prakash Babu were little abstract in treatment but were strong in terms of the images. In fact, the first film of Babu was made five years ago and seems strongly influenced by surrealistic narratives. Both the films are about the search and assertion of an individual pitted against time and society. The narrative and the images remind one of Kannada art cinema of the 70s. Both the films have participated in many international film festivals.
“Ondu Saavina Vruttantha” (A chronicle of a death, 8 minutes) by Ismail is a documentary film on the communal violence that took place in Bangalore a few months ago. This film is a strong critique of the inhuman political projects of vested interests in both the communities in the back drop of brutal killing of an innocent boy about whom none of the contesting political parties are concerned. This is the first film by NAM Ismail, a senior journalist of a reputed Kannada dalily, but the making of the film is of professional quality and generates lot of hope about this new film maker. But at times, it seems he has glossed over the blatant one sidedness of the truth, almost as if he is being extremely cautious. It is probably natural considering his religious faith, but he will have to transcend what seems like a self-imposed boundary in future.
Madhyanhada Haadu Mungaaru Mugilu were among the films screened
The other six films are produced by young producer Abhaya Simha trained FTII, Pune. His first three films, “Solo Singer and the Blue City”, “Rab Jaane” and “Watch Out” are ambitious. But they surely are a testimony to his technical and editing expertise of the young film maker. The other three films by the same producer are documentaries. A comment that is true of “Voices from the Valley”, about Kashmir, “IAS and Bihar” and “Globalization” is his mastery over the documentary medium. This makes Abhaya Simha a promising entry into the film world. But the same thing can not be said about his understanding of his subjects. Especially Kashmir, the festering wound of post independent India, has been dealt with so casually, almost on the brink of the dangerous. This is also true with the film on globalization.
Bars and Tones have definitely generated lot of hopes.
S. SHIVASUNDAR
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