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Film appreciation course

An interface between cultural reporters and film activities

SADYA AFREEN MALLICK
AS the camera panned over to the left, Charlie Chaplin was seen cooking one his leather boots with great care, in a big cauldron. Out of extreme hunger, with nothing else to offer, he could only think of sharing a softer piece of the top half of the boot with his co-passenger, while he continued to nibble on the sole of the well-cooked leather boot. He gently gathered the shoe laces with his fork and continued to chew it, carefully avoiding the rusty nails, as the small group of 70 participants, who assembled at a filmappreciation course, watched the film and laughed their hearts out.
This was a movie of the silent era, from The Gold Rush depicting Charlie as the unrivalled entertainer.
The boxing bout, which Charlie Chaplin initiated to raise funds for the treatment of his blind girl friend in one of his films, equally sent the crowd into fits of laughter.
This course was jointly organised by the Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies, Alliance Francaise and the International Film Criticism Association of Bangladesh, as part of an Orientation Course on film criticism. The programme, was formally inaugurated by Professor
Kabir Chowdhury.
Eminent filmmaker Tanvir Mokammel captivated the participants with his one-and-a-half hour lecture on the history of cinema, on the first day. He dwelt on the various schools and movements of cinema from its very inception on December 28, 1895, by the Lumiere Brothers in Paris, France. Among the earliest films were Baby at the Breakfast and The Gardener and the Hose.
Mokammel elaborated on how creating an image is the focal point of cinema. While discussing different terminologies, he explained how cinema could break the time barrier through a flash back or fast forward.
The next clipping was a long shot from the movie A Passage to India depicting the elephant ride along the mountainous regions on the Malabar's. 'The dangling bells around the elephants feet could be visible in the 'frame' only from a long shot and nothing less would do to cover the massive pillar-like feet of the animal,' said Mokammel.
In the Western or cowboy movies such as O My Darling Clementine, it showed how action movies came into existence and the technicalities of the genre.
While explaining a pan shot, from Satyajit Ray's Apur Sansar,
one watched the arrival of a village bridal party near the bank of a river. The entire 'take' picturised the arrival of the groom and came to a halt where the hero of the film lay in a deep slumber. 'Every single shot should lead to another mystery,' said Mokammel. A clipping from The Jurassic Park showed the latest use of computerised technology in films creating fantasy and special effect.
Noted film maker of Surjo Dighal Baree, Masih uddin Saker, spoke on film appreciation and stressed on the individual perspective in film
viewing. Eminent journalist Shafique Rehman delivered a lecture on contemporary cinema. He talked about his close association with Zahir Raihan and Alamgir Kabir.
Filmmaker and film activist Morshedul Islam elaborated on 'what is cinema?' the language of films and also explained the different terms of filmmaking. The first day's session ended with the film The Bicycle Thief by Italian 'Neo-Realist' filmmaker Vittorio de Sica.
Manzare Hassin Murad, a filmmaker and film activist, gave a lecture on documentary cinema on the second day of the session. He expressed the opinion that films gradually developed from documentaries. He discussed the history of documentary films and spoke of stalwarts like Robert Flaherty, Joris Ivens, Bert Haanstra, Chris Marker, Jean Rouch, Dziga Verto and others. Tanvir Mokammel then spoke in depth on film aesthetics and techniques. The concluding speech by Sadek Khan, (the noted filmmaker of Nadi O Nari and an art critic) lay emphasis on the need for good film criticism.
Pascal Janovjak, Deputy Director of Alliance Francaise of Dhaka, also said a few words on the concluding session and took part in the certificate distribution session. Film critic Sabbir Chowdhury, coordinated the course.
The participants from the print and electronic media were exposed to a diverse range of issues including aesthetics, history of films, quality of reporting as well as insights into filmdom.
More such workshops, aimed at a creative interface between cultural reporters and film activities, will enhance constructive film criticism in the country.