2nd Sadho Poetry Film Fest: Main Event – A report

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2nd Sadho Poetry Film Fest 2009-10: Main Event

December 26 & 27, 2009 @ Alliance Française de Delhi, New Delhi, India.

Prelude:

‘Tis time.
The apple falls.
Some call it destiny…

We travelled
We took the cup of poesy
To roads less travelled

The thirsty came…
Partook of the fare
The caravan of Sadho rolled on.
…
It was two years since the first Fest.
We had planned a biennial.
We had to do it before the clock struck 10.

False starts and an economic meltdown:
How does one hold a festival
when issues of bread & butter beckon.

But then, the sage said:
“Time, tide & Sadho
Wait for none.”

Day 1:  26th December, 2009.

Text: Nandan Saxena

The Fourth Estate was there in strength. Young ladies and men took aim with their cameras as the film-makers reached the Auditorium. After brief, informal introductions of the participating film-makers, Jitendra invited the PRESS to do their thing.
The two young film-makers – all of thirteen years, were the centre of attraction. Shashwat and Sidharth seemed to enjoy the attention.

Ten feet from the film cameras and inquisitive journalists was another beehive of activity. On a L-shaped table were spread out the festival posters and memorabilia, lovingly designed by Sidharth Pratap Singh and the Sadho Design team. We had Poetry Film mugs, Mouse pads, Post-cards and badges.Behind the table were a motley group headed by Parampreet Singh, better known as Pi. Mona, who works with the UN proudly shared with us after the event that on this table, under the watchful gaze of Pi, she ‘cut’ her first bill.

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It was time. We requested the friends from the media to take the remaining interviews in the break. It was difficult to reach the front of the auditorium. We wove our way through the people sitting in the aisles.

After a brief introduction of Sadho and what it does, I handed the microphone to the curator. Jitendra had more in his bag than the time we had at hand. He began right away.

The first films to be screened were the Award-winning films from the last edition of the Film Fest.

This was followed with the formal inauguration of the Fest. We at Sadho don’t stand upon ceremony. The ‘formal’ inauguration involved the projection of a photograph of the great Hindi poet Nagarjun, and a few lines from his poem…

The next segment to follow was that of films selected for the 2nd edition of the fest.

The curator changed the flavour with a mix of some delightful poetry films in video and animation.

Then some Archival films sourced with great difficulty. Though the resolution was not too good and images were grainy, it was good to have this rare collection.

The audience responded to the films with a lot of warmth. We had writers, painters, poets and film-lovers in the auditorium. We asked the audience if they needed a short break. They refused. They would much rather watch two more films, they said.

The next segment included some films which had created a buzz when Sadho announced that this edition of the Fest had films involving three kids of thirteen. The curtain-raisers in the National dailies had announced it to all and there was an air of expectation.

Jitendra introduced ‘Oshizemi’ – or the ‘Voiceless Cicada’ – a film based on a poem in Japanese by Varsha Gurumurthy, directed by Biju Viswanath.

Next to follow was ‘Chail’, a film by Sidharth Saxena, a visualisation of a poem he wrote. This four-minute film shows his relationship with the tall pine trees and the monkeys at Chail- a small hill station. Sidharth shares the credit for the camera-work with his father but refused to let anyone meddle with the edit, the narration, the composition and execution of the music score.

Next came the film ‘Ek Sapna’ by Shashwat Mudgal, based on a poem by his sister Anagha. It has the voice of the third sibling Aadya. This is a brilliant piece of animation, and I have seen his mastery over Blender and Gimp. Shashwat held his ground when quizzed by the audience and explained which open source software were used to make the film.

The audience response to this segment of the fest was overwhelming and we noted with satisfaction that the three films were based on the work of poets published in the Kids corner on the Sadho Site

‘Once upon a time’ by Vishwajyoti Ghosh had a storyline and animation that reminded us of some beautiful international poetry films from the last edition of Sadho Fest. What made it special was the deep, sonorous voice of Ramesh Venkataraman, a brilliant film-maker, anchor and a friend – who is no more.  …

We ended the day with a screening of Parijat Kaul’s ‘Panun Pan Parzaan’ (Realise thyself!) based on the poetry of Kashmiri saint-poets  Lal Dyd and Sheikh Nooruddin Wali. The film is an interesting mix of archival photographs and video footage that juxtaposes the present conundrum in Kashmir with the timeless message of the Sufi poets: the message of love and brotherhood.

Day 2:  27th December, 2009.

Text: Kavita Bahl

It is strange how sometimes landscapes resemble mindscapes..

Outwardly calm, inwardly we were all gearing up for the second day screenings of the fest.

Behind the scene activity was feverishly reaching a crescendo with films and equipment being put in place.

The audience has started trooping in, and, we instinctively knew that we were going to have another full auditorium. It was chilly and windy and as we stood feeling the cold breeze brushing our cheeks, we knew that it was worth all the effort bringing these unique poetry films to the people.

After screening a few favourite films on request from the repertoire of  1st Sadho Poetry Film Fest, we started with the second day screenings. The Curator displayed his jugglery mixing films from different poets and countries and film-making techniques. In the screen-lit auditorium, one could hear chuckles, laughter, sighs and silence. 

As the evening stretched into night, it was time to bid adieu to the audience.
Outside, people discussing films, catching up with each-other, picking up souvenirs…It was a lovely ending to the two-day 2nd  Sadho Poetry Film Fest.

The Sadho souvenirs were a big hit the previous day. Members who had sacrificed being part of the audience and enjoying films in the cosy auditorium were ready to brave the cold for the second day. It was heartwarming to see the ‘journalist’, the ‘development consultant’, the ‘businessman’ manning the souvenirs booth and vending wares dexterously.

Looking back:  It is moments like this one lives for…moments when we cease to be what we think we are…For things we perceive are bigger than our ‘selfs’.