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Documenting movement

French filmmaker Robert Andre's `School Without Walls' reflects his penchant for pace of life in the sub-continent

For some, the rain is the muse. Yet for others, the glowing sun is an inspiration. A gorgeous rainbow, vibrant butterflies or ripples in a river, anything could spark off the creative fire for a select few. But for Robert Andre, the French documentary filmmaker from Bangalore, movement eggs him on. Fluid, sinuous, supple, lithe and flowing movements, these serve as the driving force for his creative pursuits.

"Movement and animation symbolise life. I make movies that are woven around the theme of life," says Andre. Andre's latest, a 90-minute film School Without Walls, based on the satellite schools of Rishi Valley, is a tribute to the flowing lives of rural children who have taken to school and education like a fish takes to water. The film, screened at the Alliance Française French Centre recently , is an enchanting voyage that reveals a moving tale of a novel school that adapts to the children's lives rather than the other way around.

Andre's movies, mostly based on India, speak of the pace of life in the sub-continent. "My previous movie was based on Orissa's rope-making industry.

The manner in which the human body moves while climbing the coconut tree, the twisting of the muscles while breaking the nuts, the ligament movement while shearing out the coir, twisting and twirling of fingers trying to make it into ropes - it was all like poetry in motion, like a ballad," he says.

With over a dozen movies in his filmmaking career spanning ten years, the 30-plus director gets poetic while talking about his choice of subject. "The movement of the children across the green valley, the village musician calling to the children and fluid segues from scene to scene. Their lives are so pulsating that sometimes you feel they live like they are performing before the camera. In reality, they are happy people who inspire us to find joy from the little things of life. For people like you and me, even their banal life looks like a colourful tapestry," Andre elaborates.

"There are no benches to sit and no colourful boxes to store pencils, yet these kids manage to enjoy their school thoroughly. This movie talks about how happiness is a state of mind, ultimately. My friend Ashish back from the University days, an alumni from the Rishi Valley school near Bangalore, would rave about his school days. His accounts of this novel school made me visit the school and explore for a subject for my documentary films. Thus began my association with the River (Rishi Valley Institute for Educational Resources) programme for poor rural children," he says.

The tall, lanky director with flowing tresses is a philosophy major and that could be the reason behind his affinity for Jiddu Krishnamurthy and his concepts. His next movie is on JK's philosophy. Back home in Paris, India is a subject that draws rapt attention. "I have shifted base to Bangalore and will use my days in India to take back home more experiences and more lessons. Most importantly the lessons of life learnt in India," he sums up, as he walks towards the dais to catch a glimpse of his movie being screened to an enthusiastic audience.

MANJU LATHA KALANIDHI

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