A young filmmaker at the Venice Film Festival
Sanjay Narayanan, the director of ‘Maalai Nera Mallipoo’ (reviewed here), spoke to me about how to do the festival rounds. Finally, he figured it out, and when I asked him how it was going, he sent this message. It was so filled with excitement and passion that I asked if I could share it, and he said yes!
I’m having a great time sir!! This whole experience has been so much more than what I expected! I’ve lost track of whether it’s the 7th or 8th day, but I’ve already seen at least 40 films, which is way more than I ever imagined. I’ve been running from one screen to another, and though I should be exhausted, the excitement just keeps me going. It’s been such a rush.
What’s even more surreal is seeing filmmakers and stars I’ve admired for so long Alfonso Cuarón, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Daniel Craig, it’s just crazy! Everyone here is so passionate about films and art. Watching how people talk about the films after the screenings is an experience in itself. The Q&As with the filmmakers, hearing them explain why choose this style, why this film, why they wrote it the way they did, and the actors sharing their methods and techniques and just on why they chose the film, it’s all been incredibly inspiring.Every artist/filmmaker I’ve met or just heard them talk about why they choose art and why they’ve chosen this medium to expresss themselves and listening to their stories makes me understand why I choose cinema as well lol. Weirdly I feel every artist is messed up or broken in someway or the other sir 😂
One of the things I love most about the festival is how disciplined everyone is in the cinema hall. Nobody talks, nobody uses their phones, and if they do, people actually point lasers at them! 😂 There’s no cheering, whistling, or clapping during the movie you’re just left to connect with the film the way you see it, with your relationship with the film and your life experiences , and I think that’s amazing. I wish we could experience that kind of focus and experiences for atleast a few films back home!
Yesterday, I watched a Ukrainian film, Songs of Slow Burning Earth , with the filmmakers. It was about the war in Ukraine, I had no words after the film, honestly I would call films like this horror than the ghost ones lol. After the screening the crowd clapped for at least five minutes, and people were crying. It was such a beautiful and emotional experience.
I’ve had quite a few emotional moments here, and I feel so grateful for this opportunity and just being here in this festival and has really motivated me I badly want to bring my next film here and represent our country here and let this diverse crowd see and listen to my if not our stories. There was only one Indian film this year, a restored version of Ghatashraddha and I had the chance to see it with the director himself. It made me wonder why we don’t make films like that anymore. I mean ofcourse I haven’t seen all the films that were made then but seeing this one definitely made me question the films that are being made and why we have taken such a drastic turn in direction🤷🏻♂️.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the state of cinema lately. It feels like we’re stuck between old school styles and this new, meta modern wave, like cinema is searching for a new form. Weirdly I think this movement or this phase is like a bridge to that change maybe even a renaissance or a movement per se. I’ve been discussing this with people here, including a film critic from Italy, his name I forget. even he seemed to agree with this and yeahh. what do you think about this sir? Do you think there is a kind of new film movement that’ll happen soon? How do you feel about films form and structure nowadays?The Biennale has been an unforgettable experience. This festival has really reminded me how much I love cinema and how much I care about this art form and medium. You have to truly love it to keep coming back every day, running on coffee and Red Bull, and still enjoy every moment at 8 in the morning with 4 hours of sleep . Though, I’m incredibly sleep deprived. I am literally sleeping everywhere whenever I get the slightest of time😂
Honestly sir how did you manage to watch film after film, write detailed reviews, and still find time to eat, sleep, and enjoy the festivals? Weren’t you exhausted? How did you even do it? It’s almost like a litmus test to see how much you really care for the medium and art I would say for sure
