Mamtura’s Weblog
Just another WordPress.com weblogArchive for March, 2009
Proj3//Bombay Girl
The concept of Bombay Girl came from a personal attachment to the city of Bombay. I wanted to depict a sense of intimacy and relativity to a place, by connecting certain activities and associated places to feelings. I wanted to put together a piece that showed nostalgic traces and sense of comfort in things of the past. The script is spoken in a way that is not planned deliberately to be poetic or enlightening. It is spoken in a colloquial language with pauses, questioning and contemplation. As I speak, I too am figuring out what makes me feel the way I do. Therefore, my fragility becomes the strength of this video, as the audience watches and listens with care.
The video begins with portrait of myself, in the background to the foreground. “People say that my eyes light up when I talk about Bombay”. I felt it was important to give the audience someone to identify with, as opposed to a silhoutte or a shadow. I really wanted to reveal my true self, without any deception or cover. The simplicity of the images and their unposed emotions make the audience feel as though they are sitting beside me and listening to me speak. With the opening of my eye, the audience is metaphorically being given an opportunity to discover the way I see Bombay. They begin to see this place I want to show them. I found the travel footages to be the best choice because they are highlight the navigation of place. I also make use of the still images to evoke a sense of stillness, perservation or careful appreciation and comfort. The closing of eyes metaphorically seals and preserves these rare images once again, wrapping them up safely within my eyes.
Hawaiian Childhood
What attracted me to this simple video was the quality of the film. It is this less than perfect, slightly dulled and pixellated copy of film that is most communicative. I like the way the film dances on the screen, flickering and stuttering. This compilation of the various footages gives one a feeling of having a rare viewing of personal collection. The reoccuring film of the little girl dancing through out the video ties all the loose footages into a narrative related to the girl. The video has a very ‘fun’ and ‘pastime’ feel to it, as we get to see glimpses of laughter, hugging and playfulness. At the same time, we see a balance between place and people, helping to form a relation between the feelings and the surroundings.
Video: http://www.vimeo.com/392714
Measures of Distance
I was recommended Measures of Distance by Franci Duran in the process of creating project 3, originally based on long distance letterwriting. The short film is a monolgue like narration of one’s feelings about distanced friends and relatives, among other issues dealing with gender, country, etc. A voice over narrates these feelings in English, while the video depicts softer images that zoom out over the time of the film to reveal the subject.
This film really changed the way I understood my own project. Becoming inspired, I realized what I needed to incorporate into my project, and this realization came from hearing the way the woman described her feelings. I admire the way she speaks intimately, and the fact that she refers to specific things, instead of grand narratives. I really came to have sympathy and connection with the subject matter and the people involved. It inspired me to focus my project on a script that is driven by feeling, reflection or contemplation.
As well, I especially feel that the video utilizes photography very well, as it is subtle in movement and contrast, the story being narrated becomes very important. It is at times, a little bit slow in progression, but in some ways this pacing and passing of time brings a higher level of connection with the narrator and the story.
Safe Trip Home
I came across this video by Dido for her album “Safe Trip Home”. I was very much inspired by its portrayal of life in a city, especially when I was working on my project 3, Bombay Girl.
Portrayal
It begins with a woman cab driver out on the beach of Bombay, sipping her street vendor chai (tea). I love the way the video begins, it represents the reflective component of the video. She is a simply dressed in khakhi uniform and sporting a traditional kajal to darken her eyes. I love this portrayal of her, it is pure and without any ornament. As well, I feel as though it is a depiction of the raw life in the city of Bombay. As well, the song written and sung by Dido is called “Let’s do the things we normally do” which also extends to the idea of the “everyday” or the “usual”.
Emotion
She begins her day with only herself, but as she picks up passengers and drops them to their destination, she comes in and out of company. Her emotions are transformed with each new passenger. It is as though she is living her life’s potential through her passengers commutes. There are times when she is afraid, uncomfortable, humoured due to the passengers.
The City
One of the best aspects of this video in my opinion is the way the city is documented. It accurately depicts the cosmopolitan diversity of the city and the types of dwellers that live within it. Life is always moving, and this is felt through the continuous movement of cars and buses, and the motion of stopping and going. We see its unique architecture, automobiles, local eatery, shops, sidewalks, and beaches.
