A workshop on Understanding the Documentary

Aditya Seth(Standing) moderating the Discussion	Andres Veiel (red shirt) interacting with Rakesh Sharma.
Andres Veiel conducting his session.	Rakesh Sharma interacting with the participants.
Rakesh Sharma conducting his session.	Rakesh Sharma interacting with the participants.

In a run up to the Indian Documentary Producers’ Association (IDPA) AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2005, to be held on the 25th of March 2006at the Kitaab Mahal, Mumbai a workshop on “Understanding the Documentary” was held from the 25th-27th of February 2006 in association with the Max Muller Bhavan, Mumbai.

The Workshop moderated by Aditya Seth was conducted with Andres Veiel from Germany along with Rakesh Sharma, Surabhi Sharma, Simantini Dhuru, Priti Chandriani & Bishakha Datta from India, all renowned Independent Documentary Film makers.

The purpose of the workshop was to showcase different approaches & styles within the documentary to the participants in order to bring about a comprhensive understanding of the genre`. This was done by the Film makers showing their films & inviting the participants for an open & lively discussion on various aspects. Andres was an active participant in every discussion sometimes leading it & brought in a lot of vaulable insights for the participants.
On the first day Andres Veile from Germany showed his acclaimed feature length documentary Black Box Germany which steps back into German history, showing the Federal Republic of Germany of the 70s and 80s. The country polarized due to the power struggle of the German state and the "Red Army Faction" was thus on a constant brink of civil war.

Andres while introducing the German Documentary spoke about the importance of being objective, giving both sides an equal say, however grave the charge. He stressed on the importance of intense research thus lending credibility & bringing alive the biographies of the historical people featured in the film.

The second day of the workshop was dedicated to the Indian Documentary. Simantini Dhuru spoke about its origins by placing it in a socio-historic perspective.

Next Priti Chandriani showed her award winning biographical documentary Asghari Bai on the renowned dhrupad singer from Tikamgarh, MP. Priti spoke about how a newspaper report about the singer’s struggle for survival had inspired her to make the film. She emphasised the fact that how making a documentary is a process of discovery. Although she herself had gone to Tikamgarh looking for a story about an old & ailing singer’s fight with poverty she instead ended up making a film on Asghari Bai’s colourful personality & her reminiscing about the past thus not only making it the only biographical documentary on the Dhrupad exponent but a rather entertaining one at that.

Surabhi Sharma in her session spoke about how to approach & film with a community. She also spoke about the approach towards & the importance of research for a documentary. She showed her film Aamakaar – the turtle people about the people of a village in North Kerala’s fight to preserve their village & their livelihood. For more than a decade they have been conserving Olive Ridley Turtles that come to their beach to nest. They see the preservation of a species on the verge of extinction as an extension of their fight against the destruction of their estuary, their village, and their lives.

The last & final day of the workshop was dedicated to documentaries dealing with the burning issues of sexuality & politics. The morning session opened with Bishakha Datta showing her much acclaimed & controversial documentary IN THE FLESH a 53-minute documentary that provides an intimate insider's account of what it is really like to be in prostitution - by following the lives of three real life characters. This is the first time that a filmmaker in India gained such depth of intimacy and access into the lives of women and men in prostitution -on condition that the resulting video is not broadcast on television in India.

Bishakha dwelled at length on the difficulties she faced while making the film. She recounted how she gained access to her protagonists’ lives by winning their trust & confidence by repeated interaction. She also spoke about her battle with the censor board & their objections to the film & finally how she gave up trying to reason with them & has successfully continued to screen the film at various national & international forays. Bishakha felt that her film has definitely helped in bringing about a different perspective on prostitution.

The last session of the workshop was with the screening of arguably one of the most acclaimed & feted documentaries in recent times FINAL SOLUTION. Final Solution is a study of the politics of hate. Set in Gujarat during the period Feb/March 2002 - July 2003, the film graphically documents the changing face of right-wing politics in India through a study of the 2002 genocide of Moslems in Gujarat. It specifically examines political tendencies reminiscent of the Nazi Germany of early/mid-1930s. Final Solution is anti-hate/ violence as “those who forget history are condemned to relive it”.

Post the screening Film Maker Rakesh Sharma spoke at length about the politics of hate & it’s dangerous ramifications. He also spoke about hate speech not being limited to Gujarat alone but being an International phenomenon. The consequences of making FINAL SOLUTION were that he was under threat by right wing activists constantly. He felt the this film is his way of telling people to not just sit back but take positive action so that another Gujarat never occurs.

All in all it was a very successful workshop full of dynamic interactions & definitive learning for the 15 participants. IDPA proposes to conduct many more such workshops to help create a culture & environment for Independent Short & Documentary Film making in the country sans prejudice or censorship.

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