6TH MUMBAI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (MIFF 2000)

FOREWORD

The great seer Shri Aurobindo once said :

"All Indian art is a throwing out of a certain profound self-vision formed by a 'going within' to find out the secret significance of form and appearance, a discovery of the subject in one's deeper self, the giving of soul-form to that vision, and a re-moulding of the material and natural shape -- to express the psychic truth of it, with the greatest possible purity and power of outline, and the greatest possible concentrated rhythmic unity of significance, in all the parts of an indivisible artistic whole..."

These words of wisdom are as pertinent today as they were when first written; and apply equally to the field of cinema, documentary and short films. All along, we have been dominated by thoughts of rational intellect and scientific knowledge, as the only basis of well-being and progress of humanity. However, new realization now puts our rich heritage - backed by deep-rooted cultural sources and development of deep emotional intelligence - as pre requisites of peace, harmony, and progress of mankind. We, documentary and short film makers of every country, should start looking inwards more keenly, and delving into our heritage. Only then can we develop our own idiom and language of cinematic expression, which shall be unique - differing from the stereotype canvas of popular cinema.

It is true that the artist feels the 'climate' of this age intensely than others. From this emerges his art, which then provides - to the society at large - further insights into issues affecting them. This puts them into a position of power. And coupled with the inherent power of the medium, into a position of greater responsibility. The power of the moving image has grown, since the time when people were first started by the image of the train pulling into a station. Artists have, since then, used this medium consciously or subconsciously to 'capture' and to 'portray' reality, to express, and to educate. But as Nansial Bose pointed out : "If we believe in an idea of total education, the status and standard of the arts must be on par with reading and writing".

It is our responsibility to raise the standards. The status will automatically follow. The path towards this is not difficult to find. We have only to look in our backyard. We have to seek the answers in our own scriptures, in our own literature, in our own stories... and therein lies the key to improving our art, and to breaking new ground.

More importantly, we have to seek, within ourselves, the eternal 'laya' (rhythm), and the creative aspect of the Universe... and then the translation of this rhythm into 'naam' (name) and 'swaroop' (form).

 

(BANKIM)

DIRECTOR MIFF 2000 & CHIEF PRUDUCER

FILMS DIVISION