Attend this short film showcase to experience a new nazaria of the world

A moment from one of the curated films, Chitthi

They always find a way to surprise us," admits Nandini Kochar, co-founder of the Jogeshwari-based Nazaria Arts Collective. She is referring to the new crop of young filmmakers stepping out of the collective's Kahani Lab. They are currently preparing for the upcoming weekend showcase titled Reimagine, the result of a four-month long workshop that began in April this year. "The idea was to reach out to teenagers from low-income communities across the city, and offer them a platform to express and tell their own stories."

The young filmmakers at a shoot

The result is five short films that capture deeply personal experiences as well as larger themes of gender equality, LGBTQiA+ rights, right to education and corruption. "The films were all written and conceived by the kids in their own ‘andaz'. For the first month, we only had conversations about their lives, to lay the ground for ideas and themes they would like to explore," Kochar shares. The talents came from the neighbourhoods of Shankarwadi in Jogeshwari, Asalpha in Ghatkopar, and Kandivali.

Sixteen-year-old Priya Jha's film, Chitthi, is among the curation. The short film tells the story of a girl who is facing family pressure to get married after her SSC board examinations. The Kandivali-based teenager says, "It [the film] made me realise how powerful storytelling was as a medium. I saw how a simple narrative can shift perspectives, especially around a topic so close to my life as a girl."

Kiran Rao interacts with the children. Pic Courtesy/Instagram

Kochar remarks how the stories were as much a form of expression as they were a need to contextualise distant experiences from the mainstream. "For instance, one of these stories in a film titled, Could It Be, is an LGBTQiA+ romance between two boys. Sandeep Keshari who, directed the short, had watched these stories unfurl in mainstream cinema, but did not have a source to contextualise it in their world," she points out.

Shreya Tripathi, another 16-year-old filmmaker agrees. Her film, Lollipop, tackles the sensitive subject of sexual harassment experienced by a young girl. She points out, "The workshop was a way to explore ourselves and learn how creative and deep thinking we are. It also taught me how much the small things around us matter, and how they impact us."

For Iqra Shaikh, a resident of Shankarwadi, the programme was a chance to flip stereotypes. Having noticed the lack of female Muslim superheroes on screen, the 16-year old decided to turn hero by creating a hacker who takes on a corrupt politician. But it was the process of collaborating and creating stories that excited her. She remarks, "I now have the power to share my stories in so many different ways. My favourite things now are filmmaking and zine making."

Nandini Kochar, Priya Jha, Shreya Tripathi and Iqra Shaikh

Kochar hopes to carry this forward next year too. She has reason to. This project has now translated into potential career opportunities for some of these young filmmakers. They have also had a chance to interact with established filmmakers, including director Kiran Rao who had dropped by for a session. Shaikh, for instance, is interning as a video consultant for the NGO Gully Clinic, while Tripathi has already interned with Chalk & Cheese, the company that produced Payal Kapadia's recent Cannes award-winner and Academy-award entrant, All We Imagine As Light.

In view of this, Kochar notes that their first showcase on Sunday is open to the public, and will also be attended by organisations and students from schools across the city. Moreover, it will be hosted, curated and presented by the teenage filmmakers themselves. "The films that these kids are working on and making, deserve a larger platform since they are themes that will resonate with a lot of kids and adults alike," Kochar concludes.

On October 20; 11 am to 1 pm
At Museum of Solutions, Victoria House, Lower Parel.
Log on to insider.in
Entry Rs 300