Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Man & Nature
A film I edited for my good friend Joseph Alex. Is there a greater truth than what nature has to give? - Camera speaks about Mannan Tribe of Kerala, India through two distinct view points - One of the community as a whole & the second through Periyan Chachi, a very silent member of Mannan tribe who prefers his 'day' close to nature than anything else.
 
Joseph Alex Neelattu
Dont know how to show my gratitude and appreciation bro... am really thankful bose!!!
April 7 at 3:29am ·
Thomas George
Thomas George
bravo..
April 7 at 5:44am ·
Lakshmi Venugopal
Lakshmi Venugopal
beautiful. He dint need any words to convey his truth. very beautiful.
April 7 at 9:01am ·
Arun Bose
Arun Bose
Kudos to the director :) who made me understand the power of audio-visual media. Till then, i never thought there can be a DOCUMENTARY without narration. Btwn, Joseph and me had lot of fights while editing on the structure of film. He gave me a freedom to add a bit of my choices too. Interestingly I had to edit the whole film 3 different times, 3 diff styles coz of problems with computer.
April 7 at 12:02pm ·
Arun Bose
Arun Bose
Joseph remember those days me coming back from Hanmer late at night and then start with you editing at amin's room in mcc and then go back early in the morning to Hanmer for work. After all that tiring work in hanmer, ever eveing i used to be in a sort of trans to be back to edit. :).......Memoriesssssssss.........
What a pressure, it went on for
2 weeks !!! And all the problems with comp. Trust me I want to make a film like this, now that is the reason I have 'Man & Nature' in My fav films list in both FB and Orkut. Cheers.
April 7 at 12:08pm ·
Joseph Alex Neelattu
Joseph Alex Neelattu
oh yes bose...:-) there are lots great memories behind the film... do u remember we survived the most nights having just TIGER biscuits...lol. Images of amins room, 100 years old editing desk just flashes by on mind!! As i always say the film wouldnot have seen light without u... You were so restless, a strange enthusiasm to finish the work... Most of the times when i lost my hopes and got tired of the comp problems... U really boosted me up and came with some solutions... U were more dedicated and interested in the project than me, as if this is some divine intention or duty that u have to perform! We both at the final stage of the editing was in a trans like state due to the lack of sleep and nutritions:-) ...
anyways one thing i FELT while doing this film was the pain, anxiety, fear, the uncontrollabe excitement and above all the love of the creator towards his creation! However small or less important his creation is, there is a strange attachment which cannot be explained... Ask a boy who made a paper boat and floated it on the river, he will tell u what it is like.
April 7 at 5:37pm ·
Arun Bose
Arun Bose
...after taking the final output you told me to stop saying that I've no patience in life...phewwwww he he
Even I realised then that I can be so patient or...is it that I became a patient. :P
April 7 at 5:42pm ·
Joseph Alex Neelattu
Joseph Alex Neelattu
ha ha... We should join together for a film one more time!
April 9 at 5:15pm ·
Arun Bose
Arun Bose
done....i ve a weird plan...on a road movie. something mad and crazy. lets c some day. cheers

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Shadow Chair


A chair has different meanings in different people's life. 'Shadow Chair' is a film done by young people of Skimstone studio, Newcastle. It is a new attempt where we are trying a more democratic way of filmmaking where each participant plays an equal role.

What is the Edge?




' What is the Edge?' is a collaboration between young filmmakers from Thomas Bewick School and All Saints Collage and Skimstone. It is inspired by site visits to Hadrain's Wall. The edges of wall were explored as barriers that might protect us or stop us doing things, and as a boundary created by the Emperor Hadrain.

Saturday, March 06, 2010


Windy winter hits my window,

Snowing steep and shallow,

Misty mornings, greedy noon,

Chilly nights and no full moon.

Love this city Newcastle

But a lot I miss back, it hassles.

Summer days at Chennai home,

Soaked in sweat, yet wet not lone

Sun so yellow red and hallow

Sandy beach and countryside

Guiding stars stay clear in sky high

Greener days grey-grainy nights, sigh!

Distance from my true essence

Distilled? Disturbed? Makes no sense!

Life is mystic, beautiful,

Love so keeps it dutiful.

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

'Balance' of 'Bow'
It's been a long time since I have written a blog....Anyways, I need a bit more time to settle down at this new place -with this new life- before writing a decent 'fresh' one. For time being I would like to share a funny write-up - LIBRA Woman SAGITTARIUS Man, which I got from net written by famous astrologer Linda Goodman. Found it very funny and interesting.... as I now have a good reason to read it. :P... For all Sagi's like me and Librans like her... enjoy. Will be back soon with some original posts... tc Arun

"My liking for parties, George."
"My fatal gift of humour, dearest."

The average Sagittarius man is not as marriage-oriented in his youth as he might be, or as the Libra girl would like him to be. She thinks in terms of togetherness in the total sense; so, naturally, if she's in love with him, she images rings and vows. There's nothing wrong with that; in fact, a marriage between them would likely be successful and stimulating. But if this man doesn't work the wanderlust and curiosity out of his system before he weds, he may satisfy those powerful Jupiter urges after he weds. Which is preferable? Now I've done it. I've given the Libra girl a choice. It will take her a time to sort it all out and make a decision, and we can't just wait around while she's carefully considering all sides of the question, so best to continue with our examination of her relationship with a Sagittarius male. She'll catch up with us later.
Not all, but many male Archers are reluctant to leap into legal liaisons the first moment they're sure it's love. It isn't that this man is against marriage, but he just managed to break loose from his family's smothering hold on his mental, emotional and physical activity, and he needs some time to bask in his freedom, before losing it again. After he's satisfied himself that world is definitely round, tried on two or three jobs or careers for size, read up a little on Tibetan mysticism, traded in a dozen or so cars, mastered the art of hang-gliding in the Rockies, tried out some cross-country skiing, adopted a score or so of homeless animals, made an attempt to run for political office—and checked out every third girl he sees (at a distance, Libra — stay optimistic !) to confirm his opinion that his own Libra lady is as supremely smooth and superior as he first thought she was—he'll be ready to settle down to a discussion of a long-term commitment.It seems wiser and safer to allow the Archer to shoot a batch of his arrows into the air first, then have the assurance when he returns that most of his curiosity and some of his longings have been fulfilled, and that he's now anxious to start out on his quest all over again, this time with his woman by his side.On the other hand, if she lets him go free, and he roams too far, he may forget to return, get lost somewhere out there in his beckoning dreams—whereas, if she'd been firmer from the start, he might still be holding her in his arms, while they listen to the silvery sound of rain on the roof —or holding her hand, as they stroll toward the stables to take a moonlight ride on their horses, smelling the sweet hay feeling the cool night air on their cheeks. I just don't know. What do you think, Libra ? (She's back with us now, and should have decided. No, she hasn't. I can tell by the frown wrinkling her lovely Libra forehead. Well, we won't rush her.)
Naturally, there are exceptions, but whether or not to marry is one of the major problems facing this particular 3-11 Sun Sign Pattern man and woman who are in love. Libra unconsciously feels frustrated unless she's sharing life’s ups and downs, joys and sorrows, hopes and hassles—with another person. Libra woman alone is like a pair of Scales with one tray missing, so you can see how it makes her feel useless. You can't weigh anything into perfect harmony and balance when half your equipment is missing—and the man she loves is the other half of this woman's equilibrium equipment as a total human being. (Unless she's one of those intensely dedicated Libran career women, with a compatible business partner, in which case she'll be content for a reasonable length of time—but not forever — without a mate.)
A Sagittarius male doesn't actually fight togetherness, because he isn’t fond of being alone either. He's much happier with
a friend beside him as he clowns and bounces and seeks his way along today's trail, leading into tomorrow's highways. If the friend is also beautiful, dimpled, sweet and huggable, that's even better. If she should also be bright enough to match wits with him and exchange philosophies (which this girl surely is, and they some), he has no objection if she grabs her camera, field glasses, pup tent, sleeping bag, canteen and flashlight, and tags along with him. It's only when she starts leading the conversation into dead-end streets like buying property or taking a steady job that he strains at the leash. When he's older, he'll move his lawn and pay his taxes like any other man, but meanwhile, there are sirens out there, singing to his heart a song more seductive than her Chanel, her charm, her delectable dimples, and sadly. . yes, even more alluring than her soft embrace. Jupiter rules retirement in astrology and this often causes Jupiter-ruled men to decide to retire first, and work later. They get it backwards.
The Libra girl has stopped frowning. She's smiling now, with that expression of sweet bliss you always see on the composed features of a Libra-who's reached a firm and final decision. She's rejected both choices, am settled for one in the middle, to make it come out more nearly even. She won't try to hold him, nor will she allow him to go tramping around the town the state or the world, mailing her cards and letters. She will go with him. Good girl! See? I told you she'd catch up with us.
Its an excellent idea for the Libra woman who loves an Archer to goalong with, rather than to try to force him into her mold. However soft,gentle and velvety her manner, he'll sense the danger of being smothered andbecome restless. She should realize from the beginning that she'll nevercompletely control this Centaur-Clown creature with the sparkling eyes brimming over with dreams. He was born into the vibration of a masculine Sun Sign also ruled by the masculine planet, Jupiter, and although Libra is a masculine sign, Libra's ruler, Venus, is all feminine. In some ways, this may seem to give her an advantage, because she can think like a man, yet appeal to him in irresistible female ways. It’s a powerful combination, but it will never force a double masculine macho vibe such as the Archer's to submit to petticoat persuasion—or if it should, he'll be genuinely miserable within, try as he may to hide it. And the purpose of love is happiness, not misery.
He will be attracted by her fine mind, and touched by her optimism, so like his own. She looks for the same silver linings as he, behind every cloud. Since she tends to live in a world of her imagination, troubles are never quite real to her. Even those that do manage to penetrate her dreamy consciousness with the sharp stab of reality are normally not allowed by Libra to remain there for long. Her clever mind and talent for logical deduction will usually find a way to solve any problem —or to de
liberately discard it, before it grows into a major crisis. She's amazingly capable of turning her back on ugliness, once she’s decided there's no way it can be beautified. Sometimes, a Libra woman will solicit admiration, even when she's aware that it's flattery, and to some degree insincere. She can talk herself into believing anything, true or false, if it makes her feel cherished—one reason why Libra girls marry early and mistakenly. Still, there are those lovely times when her very optimism turns a negative into a real positive, through the sheer steadiness of her faith. It doesn’t happen every time, but enough times to convince her it's worth trying because there's always the chance that maybe tomorrow .....
She is, however, sensitive to hurt, and to sharp words. With all her ability to paint rainbows over grey clouds, and despite her natural Libra longing for peace and harmony at any cost, if he pierces her soft heart with too many stinging arrows, she'll weigh him in the cold light of Libra logic, and find his love too lopsided for her. She admires his cleverness and quick wit, but she won't be his pincushion or his dart board.
A Libra woman respects honesty and idealism, because these are qualities she possesses herself. She enjoys parties and people, social gatherings, art and music, as much as she enjoys reading, learning, debate and all forms of mental challenge. The Sagittarius man is molded in just the right shape to fit her needs and desires. The perfect woman for him must be generous, outgoing and gregarious, be his mental equal and his heart's twin. She must believe, as he does, that tomorrow will be a better day, and think it's exciting to do things on the spur-of-the-moment. He needs a woman who never nags him, who believes in his dreams, understands the word "free­dom," and who will be kind to his animal friends. A Libra woman is molded in just the right shape for the Archer. She's probably molded in the right shape otherwise too. Being such close relatives of Venus di Milo, most Libra girls inherit her appealing curves, feminine mystique and classic beauty, which is even more effective sculpted in the flesh than it is in marble.
He's quick to sense every unspoken mental, emotional or sensual desire in her, almost before she knows it herself. He's also quick to resent the appeal of his Libra lady to every male within the radius of her completely irresistible Venus smile. They admire her mind, along with her other attributes, and since she so enjoys admiration, she won't discourage them the way he'll expect her to—and will finally demand that she does. She's not as fiery as he, and will probably be more tolerant of the way other women are excited by his contagious enthusiasm. But with both of them so attractive, and exuding such a love of life and people, romantic jealousy can't be ruled out as a danger in their relationship.
People in love can fall out of love as quickly as they fell into love, when they have only their sexual chemistry to interest each other. There's not much chance of that with Libra and Sagittarius. They'll always have plenty to talk about. She sees the small boy behind his bravado, and would like to spend her whole life educating him. Every Libra woman has a schoolteacher hidden somewhere inside her. He's so curious about everything, understanding how a woman feels and what causes her emotions intrigues him. He has a thousand questions, to which she has at least two thousand answers. He’ll teach her a lot too, with his quick grasp of what's really important.
“What will I do?” she worries. “I don't know whether we belong together or not. My heart is optimistic about our future, but my mind is pessimistic.”
“You can't decide our future by what your intellect tells you alone.” (His eyes are saying more intimate things.) “The intellect alone is an unsuitable instrument for accurately measuring an extraordinary emotion like love. The mind is clever, but the heart is wiser. Trust your feelings.” He takes her in his arms, holds her very close, then kisses her nose lightly. “Listen to the rain on the roof, like that first night we were together. What do your feelings tell you right this minute, darling?” (He's quick.)

Friday, December 18, 2009


My Paper Boat at Copenhagen
A selection of films were chosen by Millenium Arts to screen on their giant CO2 CUBE, these are being shown daily throughout the 2 week conference. They look amazing on the 8.2m x 8.2m x 8.2m cube that sits on the lake in the centre of Copenhagen a powerful visual representation of the size of a ton of carbon. read more...

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Our 'Paper' Boat







































My Paper Boat



Glad to know that ‘My Paper Boat’ is sailing successfully to some thinking minds propagating the message of global warming, climate change, drought & displacement. ‘My Paper Boat’ is a simple short film I did with my friends for a competition conducted as part of Copenhagen Climate Change Conference to be held in UK. All the world nations are expected to sign a treaty taking the vow to diminish the Carbon emission for a better future. Today we are quite proud to know that the film is selected as the best film for screening at Copenhagen to convey this message to an international crowd.

On behalf of our little cast and crew, I would like to thank the contest organizers, the judges, the sponsors and the viewers for accepting this video. Glad that it could reach to this rank. Yet, more than winning this competition, we are quite happy being a part of this event - rather this movement- reaching lot many like minded people, propagating a good cause in the simplest manner possible. As many of you commented, this might not make huge changes but we are sure that it can definitely trigger a thought for all thinking minds.

The video is hosted in the site
http://www.1minutetosavetheworld.com/

Through this video we are trying to present a possible state of displacement one might have to face in future because of changing climate. The whole scenario is visualized in a simple manner with the mannerisms of a child with his ‘Paper Boat’.

I remember my childhood in Kerala, with my sister and friends throwing paper boats in water during the monsoons. We used to be ready with the boats waiting for the rain to hit the ground. While doing a documentary film for NFSC, mentioned in my previous blog, I almost saw this kid in my mind. My friend Deepu Charles triggered the idea of Paper Boat and together we made the concept note. Later buddy Sachindev helped me find the boy ‘Arjun’ for the video. Kiran and Sachin helped me with whole process of shooting. Thanks to Susan and Rayson who helped us with the camera, so that we could finish the shoot in almost negligible budget.

Synopsis:
My Paper Boat is the story of a little boy; we keep meeting somewhere or rather everywher e in the heart of India. He lost his play space due to the drought. He is now confused on where to leave his paper boat. So he is looking around for various means to make it move. For him, the hot sun is the villain who took off his comforts, but we know the reality. He is still on his search for an option. The protagonist here represents the displaced population due to global warming.
Interview with the crew





Please find below the news reports and blogs on this video.
In Television: Indiavision Channel
Publications: Press Clips

Monday, November 02, 2009










The sky unusually looked so red,
The air was like fire,

A fierce goddess entered the villages,

And killed the people with dis
eases,
So people remained in their homes,
And did not go outside, In this great famine,

S
ome died and some survived

Lines from ‘Durbhikshya Boli’ - a poem by poet Sri.Manohar Meher from Sinapali, who witnessed the seven famines of 1899.

This documentary film talks about one hundred years of drought and lore in the districts of Kalahandi and Naupada in Orissa and its impact on the lives of tribes - Gond and Bhunjia. Produced by National Folklore Support Centre (Chennai), in collaboration with Adibasi Sanskruti Gabesana Parishad (Orissa) as a part of Orissa Digital Community Archive Project. Funded by Ford Foundation.

Details of the film in NFSC site

Thanks to Mr. M.D. Muthukumaraswamy ( Director NFSC) for giving me this project and Mr. Mahendra Kumar Misra (ASGP) for helping me realize it.

I learned a lot while doing this film - Simple facts like, my life in Kerala and metros in India never told anything about India. As Gandhi said India’s heart is in her villages. In a way one can call India, a big village. Though the project started with the plan of representing the effect of drought in those regions, what I saw was - the tribes were not only suffered from the drought but they were even badly affected by landgravers and corrupted officials. They were displaced form their own land. Gonds shifted to Raipur, remains a living truth of displacement. Interviews with Mr. Ravi Das, Secretary (Kalahandi Vikas Parishad) also proved this fact.

As Amarthya Sen says in ‘Poverty and Famine’(1981)

“Starvation is the characteristic of some people not having enough food to eat. It is not the characteristic of there being no food to eat”



It was not cockroach in cocktail then... As this website id reads it was ‘centurs’. I wanted to call this film club ‘Centurs Creation’. That was 4 years back.

As Wikipedia says - Cen`taurs, a savage race living between Pelion and Ossa, in Thessaly, and conceived of at length by Pindar as half men and half horses, treated as embodying the relation between the spiritual and the animal in man and nature, in all of whom the animal prevails over the spiritual except in Chiron, who therefore figures as the trainer of the heroes of Greece; in the mythology they figure as the progeny of Centaurus, son of Ixion (q. v.) and the cloud, their mothers being mares.

I was always been fascinated by this mythical creature in my childhood, ever since the I first got introduced to Greek Mythology. My slates and books used to be filled with pictures of horses. Centurs can be identified as a good combination of Good and Evil, in other words those qualities we can truly call ‘purely human’. Anyways my intention is not to talk about Centurs here. I just want to share thoughts about a film I did immediately after college days.

After college days, I was in Kerala with Ad filmmaker Vinod A.K for three months. Since then he is my only Guru and the production house ‘Veye’ my second home. All that I did later in life, is what I learned from him.
Those days, I was really confused about the realization of a fiction though I was somehow comfortable crafting a factual film which we call by the name ‘documentary’. Due to some personal reasons I returned back to Chennai and joined a firm called Newmedia Television. It was then the plan of doing a short film came into mind. There were quite a few concepts, but I was so touched by one thought that flashed in mind which was about ‘My Mirror’. I shared it with friends Joseph Alex and Titty Joseph. Both were initially confused, but then got convinced by the storyline.
Anbu said that he would do the camera for us. Friends, Anjana and Soumya quickly accepted the roles I described them. Titty’s classmate Rahul joined as the Production Controller. He also found us the other few very important actors for the film. In fact, the whole process of Mirror was an imitation of what I saw at Veye Films. My intention was to say a powerful story and in that process learn how to do a fiction.

During the whole process we had our own complications. Camera was supposed to be a character, Mr. Mirror and there was a scene in which the protagonist needs to throw the mirror. Anbu tried a lot of ways to identify an appropriate solution, but finally the best was to actually throw the camera. I decided to do the protagonist and in that scene throw the cam to Anbu’s hands and later the other character Soumya would take it and keep it back in the tripod. With our adventurous cameraman, in just two takes, we finished that shot. As soon as I took the cam from tripod and walked, Anbu scrolled down quickly to the other corner and when I threw it he caught it and kept it steady down. In all the other scenes the camera remained
the most obedient actor, ‘My Mirror’. My special regards to Titty who gave different looks for the same room for each scene according to the changing time.

Even after all this, with the final film I realized one thing - it is not conveying anything that I wanted a My Mirror to say and I ended up having a BIG Complex. I even thought of not attempting anymore fictions in life. The mistakes were, doing the film in English, acting the protagonist myself, bad time management, one big mechanical error with camera etc etc. Hence I kept the film hidden in my DVD pouch for almost 3 years. A few months back my friend Sachin happened to see it and told me that he liked the whole concept and I must breathe some life into it. Thus this film happened again. A few weeks back I started re-writing and re-editing it. And today I am presenting you ‘My Mirror’ in a better shape, though I still accept that it still retain a lot of mistakes including me and my language. Kindly accept it as an amateur filmmaker’s first effort exploring the media of film. Thanks.

Warm regards,
Cockroach

Sunday, October 25, 2009

With the birds and butterflies...

Escaping from the load noises of crackers, a small group of guys from MCC, as part of a program by OSLE India went into the woods nearby Medavakam Kootu Road (Chennai) to explore and experience the company of birds, on this Diwali. I joined the journey because of my good friends Rayson, Susan and Sachin who belongs to the OSLE India team, and trust me it just became a memorable day in my life. What I have seen only in Animal Planet, (in fact that’s probably one among the very few channels I am in craze of) I experienced the same in the company of our own Steve Irvin, Hopeland from Zoology department Madras Christian College.

I always liked listening to the birds, in fact I had 2 pigeons and quite a few lovebirds at home back in Kerala. There used to be a cage in common for rabbits and love birds. But this time it was way different. Watching a being in its own habitat is quite a joy. They talks to you in the language of freedom. I guess my love birds might have also sounded different in their own habitat. At the forest we came across only a few rare specis, in fact other birds were familiar ones. But I don’t think I have ever watched or understood any of them this clear before…. even our very on Cookoo, Maina, Crow or Kingfisher. Hopeland clearly ‘re-introduced’ each of those species to all of us that each of them gained a different status in our minds. I and Sachin went around taking videos of all of them and the group while Hopeland took his breaks and kept explaining things. Whenever he heard a familiar or unfamiliar call of a bird he would stop immediately and get hold of his binoculars. What fascinated us was his knowledge of other beings too along with the birds. He knew every butterfly in the area and their mode of living. On the way he showed us an agonizing Skelton of a dog, but now it is the home of a colorful beetle. He came out and looked at his guests explaining silently the tyranny and irony of life.

I had a great time videographing a rare Brahminical Maina following it quietly keeping my slippers away, and of course the adventure in the pond further inside the forest. As soon as we reached the pond side, Hopeland asked us to be quite so that he can get an Owl in his binoculars. Sad... he was hiding somewhere. But yet the pond kept us happy with a vivid view. We saw a few water snakes and two rare species of Kingfishers. Hopeland was so excited watching the snakes and he said that he can try catching one and examine it close. In no time three of us went down to the pond. Hopeland was on one side of the pond and I was trying to focus my camera on him standing on the other side. Hearing our footsteps, quite a few frogs busy in their sun-bath did a quick plunge into the water… it was a great show. I slowly stepped into the water from one side and Hopeland from the opposite side. I guess the water at that side got disturbed and I saw a snake approaching me. It was really fast reached almost my legs. I got the shock of my life and tried to move out. I guess the sounds and the ripples made it equally scared. Sensing the presence of a foreign body, in few seconds it took a U-turn and went in a different direction. Meanwhile Hopeland’s leg caught in the mud which he finally struggled his way out and then cautioning me to carry a stick to identify the depth at each level. He tried his best to catch one snake. Guess the whole noise made them too cautious that they smartly hid themselves in the muddy bottom. So we too came out.

On the way back we saw few other birds and some interesting plants. Nirmal sir (English department, MCC) was guiding us in the whole trip, explaining each species and plant with their actual literature connection. He showed as ‘Kunni-mani’ seeds and said that even a few decades back people used it for weighing gold. Rayson kept recording the whole conversations on his phone and others made short notes. We entered the forest land around 8 AM and it took almost 3 hours to just make one small circle of excavation. All thanks to Hopeland who guided us and described the beauty of the bird's kingdom. Though, I don’t really remember the names of all the species he showed us, we are planning to make it a shot docu film with the details ...of course with the help of our own ‘Steve Irvin’.