Cinematography and Time-II
A recent comment from Haridas B at the Indian Auteur website pointed us towards these set of lectures given by Mani Kaul at the International Film Festival of Kerala, 2006 and also a subsequent debate on the same with cinematographers and filmmakers at the Osian film festival 2007. This debate was further revived by the same group of cinematographers and they had this to say:
"We found Mani Kaul's argument very interesting and relevant. But unfortunately this subject has not been picked up and debated enough. So we have compiled the video recordings of both the events here. Please view the videos and contribute to the debate"
I would like to know the views of people here, so we to can contribute to the overall discussion.
Mani Kaul also wrote an essay exploring similar themes and topics in Beneath the Surface: Cinematography and Time which is available online at the Indian Autuer website.
"We found Mani Kaul's argument very interesting and relevant. But unfortunately this subject has not been picked up and debated enough. So we have compiled the video recordings of both the events here. Please view the videos and contribute to the debate"
I would like to know the views of people here, so we to can contribute to the overall discussion.
Mani Kaul also wrote an essay exploring similar themes and topics in Beneath the Surface: Cinematography and Time which is available online at the Indian Autuer website.
The New Issue of Indian Auteur
Video source:- http://www.cinemadebate.org/Site-1/VIDEO-1.html
Comments
"The work of a director is recognition, not creation..." - Deserves some thought...But how does one recognize?
Thanks for these vids Nitesh...
Fascinating stuff.
"The work of a director is recognition..."
In very simplistic terms, can the statement be reduced/equated to saying - "The job of a director is to wait and watch, not impose himself onto his construct, and then merely pick up the most suitable take in the post"? My argument is two fold-:
a) Isn't the job of a director, even in this scenario - creation, for doesn't he create the very construct which facilitates the occurrence of the accident? Doesn't he set the shot, instruct the crew? Even if these processes are mere mechanisms and not objectives within themselves, who creates the mechanism which lies beneath the accident?
b) As JAFB says, "How does one recognise" - that again brings us down to an appraisal of Bresson's intuitive ability to choose the best take, and thus subsequently, his ability as a filmmaking master, which is so singular to him. As a method of shooting thus, it can never be generalised or used by a lot of filmmakers.
And I so agree about the poverty of true images in modern media...
As for mainstream cinema...well the less we talk the better.
Just a sad fact that we witnessing that now video games, animation and even regional cinema is engulfed with the images of mainstream cinema or Bollywood in general.
To quote Monsters Inc. : "Kids these days are just tougher to scare." :D
About your point (a
understand what you saying.....but when MK talks of elimination of direction doesn't mean the elimination of the director. Director is there to create the right kind of atmosphere for the magic to happen.
like abbas kiarostami said after making 10 in which he doesn't credit himself as a director. When asked his answer was the i can not say that i made this film, or i directed the film...but if i was not there this film would never have made.