The Hindu : In search of `meaningful cinema'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 11, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

In search of `meaningful cinema'

By Harichandan A. A.

BANGALORE June 10. Collective Chaos (a bit of an oxymoron) started screening movies from critically acclaimed directors from different parts of the world in January this year, with a festival of short films at Mount Carmel College.

The idea was to expose youngsters to "meaningful cinema" — in particular short films, which are almost unheard of in India, Babu Raj, one of the founder-members of this loosely knit group of film enthusiasts, says.

Over the next six months, the group has grown from the seven founding members to about 260.

They participate in online discussions on movies, issues raised by movies, their technical aspects, and anything else that anyone wants to say on movies.

Now, the group wants to have its own movie-making equipment and a little studio to hire out to anyone interested. "The technology (to make movies) is more accessible now, and people can do more than dream about making a film,'' Mr. Babu Raj, who works as a graphic designer, says.

Perhaps, in a few months, those interested in making films will be able to hire digital video cameras and a small editing studio.

Collective Chaos screens movies, mostly at the YMCA, twice a month. To attend, one is expected to become a member of the group by paying a nominal fee.

The money spent will be worth it, for there are occasional treats such as Russian director Sakurov's Mother and Son, or Bosnian film-maker Emir Kasturica's Underground, or Iranian movie-maker Mohsen Makhbalbaf's A Moment of Innocence.

The last two were both products of violent political upheavals in the former Yugoslavia and in Iran; they speak of how events beyond people's control bring out the best and the worst in them.

Most films screened by the group have been from personal collections, Mr. Babu Raj says. But they also borrow films from the National Film Archive.

The group also wants to be a forum where anyone who wants to make and screen "meaningful" movies can meet.

Collective Chaos can be contacted on phone 5203932 (URL: http:// groups.yahoo.com/ group/ collectivechaosblr).

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