My film education was provided by British television back in the 1970s. The BBC ran seasons of classic movies; in the early evenings I discovered Capra, Hawks, Preston Sturges; late nights meant world cinema and Truffaut, Renoir and Bunuel. One night whist the rest of my family slept, my 17 year old self stumbled upon Pather Panchali. India up to that point meant for me either the commodification by The Beatles or objectification through news of famine and corruption. Here for first time for me was an Indian story told by Indians – personal, intimate, beautiful, enlightening.
Finally I heard Ravi Shankar’s music in a truly Indian context, and the wondrous cinematography of Subrata Mitra seduced me with beautiful enchanted forests and great cinematic moments. Above all I discovered the powerful story telling of Satyajit Ray. As one writer observed, it is a rare blend of intellect and emotions. Stories that seem so simple and direct, yet revealing of fundamental emotional truths, deepening our understanding of the human condition, and especially for a Westerner like me, Indian culture. So a new world opened up to me.
It was almost 30 years later that I found myself invited to the first time to the film school that bears Ray’s name in Kolkata. As a tv commissioner at DocEdge, the original pitching forum for Indian documentary, I got to meet some amazing people and hear their fantastic stories. I saw the huge potential but endless frustration of Indian documentary makers. Working as an independent in India has never been easy, but for doc film-makers looking to tell stories of their home country, just as Ray had done, it was proving almost impossible.
So now I am involved with a new team at The Indian Documentary Foundation to try and help support an industry and develop a wider culture of Indian documentary making, for films that will both speak to international audiences and have real impact at home. It’s important to develop a documentary viewing culture in India, and this December the Foundation is partnering with the Kerala International Film Festival to launch Trigger Pitch, to try and bring important documentary films to a wider Indian audience by partnering with media outlets, NGOs and other interested parties.
We hope that Indian documentaries can make the kind of impact that Satyajit Ray’s cinema did on people like me all those years ago, and bring ever wider audiences to the richness and diversity of Indian culture and society.
About Nick Ware
