My diploma project was a film with CRY, which aimed at exposing a group of underprivileged children to a new medium of expression for them — cinema – through a workshop on film-making. I proposed a concept and plan to CRY, which it approved of.
My film was entirely based on the 15 days workshop, in Kamarhati, Kolkata. My protagonists were ten children, aged 14 to 16 years, of parents working in jute mills, and belonging to the slums of Kolkata. The project involved training this group of under-privileged children to make films. They were taught the language of cinema, through a workshop conducted by a senior teacher of films, from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, and I. Our idea was that, thereafter, the children would be on common ground and make one or two films on their own.
The workshop carried on for 20 days, and the children ended up making two films on their own. One was a music video, and the second, a documentary. CRY wanted the children to realize that they had the “freedom to express.” Keeping this goal in mind, I led the children to think about their freedom of expression.
To my surprise, the children were quite aware of their rights and clear about what they wanted from society. They knew exactly what they were missing out on. I realized that their understanding of films was not like that of a normal audience, primarily because of the social conditions of which they were a part.
This has been a thorough learning process for me. The more the children learnt from me, the more I, in turn, learnt from them. Learning can never be over; technology will progress and only with an open mind can I progress along with it.
