Urban tales

15 May,2012 06:58 AM IST |   |  Surekha S

On their third anniversary, Vikalp Film Archive in association with Alliance Francaise, will screen three documentary films made by Indian directors that trace the essence of a city


From looking at the changing landscape of a city through the eyes of a migrant to highlighing the difficulties faced by the common man though an animated film, the three films that are going to be screened today capture the pulse of a city in different ways with different styles of story-telling.


In-transience looks at the changing face of the metropolis through the eyes of migrant workers

In Transience
A project by Behind the Tin Sheets, this documentary film made by Ekta Mittal and Yashaswini Raghunandan looks at the changes a city undergoes through the eyes of migrant workers. The film delves on the changing dreams, aspirations, nightmares and perceptions of the workers, which mirror the changes the city has undergone. "Ekta and I started this project two years ago. We have been residents of Bangalore and the city has undergone many changes over the last few years. We started looking at where this city is headed to," says Yashaswini, explaining that this documentary is the first film that came out of their project. The film is not just about Bangalore but also about the changes every metropolitan city seems to be going through, emphasises Yashaswini. "With different narratives and by talking to several people we have tried to archive the changing metropolis. Through a dreamer, a poet, a worker or lovers, we see the changing landscape of the city reflected in their lives, their nightmares and dreams. It's an eerie experience," she adds. Presence is the second film that has been made as part of the project and Yashawini says they hope to put together multiple narratives to make a feature length film as well.

Jan Villa
Describing Jan Villa as "an experimental film", director Natasha Mendonca admits that the film set in the 2005 floods that hit Mumbai, affected her as well. "My family home in Borivali was destroyed by the floods," says Mendonca, recalling the incident. Jan Villa is a tapestry of images that documents the memory of the incident in a different way. "It's not a documentary or a narrative about the floods, but a film that finds metaphors with the devastating incident," adds Mendonca. The film was first released in August 2010.


Jan villa, is an experimental film that looks at the devastation caused by the Mumbai floods of 2005

Good Morning Mumbai
A film by Rajesh Thakare and Troy Vashant C, this 12-minute animated film set in Mumbai has won the Silver Conch at MIFF 2012. The film is about a slum tenant who faces a series of unfortunate events making it difficult for him to achieve what he had set out for. The film throws light on the problems of space, sanitation, infrastructure, pollution and relationships that are a result of the fast pace of urban growth.u00a0 u00a0

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Good Morning Mumbai is an animated film that deals with the troubles of living in an urban city

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