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| Brian being given a rose. |
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| Brian presents his paper. |
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| Brian on the Jury for student papers. |
Contemporary Goan cinema is moving from strength to
strength. From four Goan films screened at the International Film Festival of
India (IFFI) in 2022, IFFI54 last year had a robust selection of seven – two
feature and five non-feature. The films differ in terms of language, format, duration,
theme, production quality and audience response. What needs to be appreciated
is the originality of ideas, the struggle to produce the film, and the
endurance to keep Goan cinema alive.
The movies are based on all strata of Goan society and
are not limited to the stories of the elite. This provides a kaleidoscope of
human emotion for the viewer – and researcher – to harvest. The Witness is
about a secret kept by a senior citizen. In Peace Lily, Sand Castle two
women strike up an unlikely friendship. #MOG addresses a serious issue
about a little-known medical condition. Yashoda speaks to us about the
bond between a housewife and her maid. In Gathan the conventions of
village life are disdained by the new generation. Caste rears its head in Maarwat.
Crazy Mogi focusses on the ploys
to get married to the person of your choice.
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National Seminar on 'Mediating the Isms: Locating the Dynamics of Ideology in the Modern World Through Screens.' DMC, Assagao, Goa, 1-2 March 2024.
The first IFFI was held
in Mumbai in 1952 with the collaboration of the films division and the
Government of India. It was inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru. When IFFI first
started in Goa in 2004, Goan film struggled to find its footing. Today too in
its 54th edition one can hope for more representation of Goan cinema
in subsequent IFFIs.
If
you go to the IFFI website and look for Goan films you will probably not find
them. They are at the bottom of the page – the very last – as you scroll down.
There is also hardly any information on the Goan films on the iffi website.
IFFI screenings
This time in a welcome
move, the ESG held a re-screening of the 7 Goan Films selected for the 54th
IFFI in 2023. 20 entries of films were received for iffi54 out of
which 7 were chosen. The Goan section
was introduced in 2014 to encourage Goan filmmakers.
This was a treat for
aficionados of Goan film who find it difficult to watch all the Goan films at
the festival. Being a festival delegate also involves the payment of a sum
which may be out of reach of students and the economically backward. There is
also the drawback of having only one venue – Panjim – for the screenings.
People from elsewhere in Goa with no transport find it difficult to travel to
and fro – since the screenings go on late into the night.
Terms
The term ‘ideology’ is
used to mean a system of ideas and ideals. It could also mean a set of beliefs
characteristic of a social group or individuals. ‘Intent’ signifies a general
plan or intention to achieve something. This paper will examine the many
ideologies that exist in the films, how they are often in conflict with each
other, and whether there is one or many takeaways from the film.
This is defined as ‘an
original motion picture of a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all
credits.’ (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) Shorts are screened at
film festivals and are made by independent filmmakers with either a low budget
or no budget at all. They are usually released with feature films. Watch the
latest shorts at ‘Short of the Week’ at www.shortoftheweek.com
The Films
The Witness
Non-feature film
38.06 minutes
Language: English
The Witness (2023) is a short directed by Troy Ribeiro. The Witness is a story told by the director’s mother. It reaches back to Portuguese days and is shot in Juvem, on the idyllic island of St. Estevam. This is Troy’s debut as a film- maker. The story was entered for the Fundaçao Oriente Short Story Writing competition last year and was later published by Fundaçao in a volume called Silent Waters.
The opening scenes are
chilling when the turbid river is seen in the half-light with the boatmen
frantically trying to search for a body of a missing person. A voice of a
mother crying the name of her son piteously rends the air. The river moves
impassively on, oblivious. One often comes across reports of drownings in Goa,
but Witness dramatizes the event with great sophistication.
The man drowned because
Joaquim pushed him – accidently – when he was forcing him to consume liquor at
a lonely spot near the crumbling remains of a fort wall on a hill. The ideology
of the film suggests that drinking should be within limits. It also foregrounds
the fact that money is not everything in life.
When Joaquim meets his friend on the hill, the latter, in stylish clothes,
brags about city life and how Joaquim – a baker’s son - is so old-fashioned and
rural.
The wife is extremely
disturbed by the fact that she has been living all these years with a person
who caused the death of someone. As a spouse, will she turn him in and solve
the case? The last frame with the Portuguese policeman appearing at the door of
the house suggests that justice will out. The ideology of the wife is to come
clean, No matter how long a secret is kept one day it will see the light of
day. Joaquim was the only witness and that memory refused to let him sleep. It
is better to sleep with a clear conscience, and come clean on the facts of the
case.
Witness is a psychological thriller – even though it is
slow and repetitive at times. Joaquim’s whimsical nature is attributed to his
guilt complex – a hidden wound that is desperately seeking release. Every drop
of the rain water reminds him of the river water that consumed his friend. The
suspense is built up gradually and finally reaches it climax. The look of
horror on Joaquim’s wife face is unforgettable.
The ideology of Joaquim
– a senior citizen in his seventies – is to hide the incident for almost 30
years. The ideology of his wife – who is much younger – is to reveal the
incident.
Troy Ribeiro is a
talented film-maker. We look forward to more movies from him.
Peace Lily Sandcastle
 |
| Still from Peace Lily Sandcastle. |
Dir. Himanshu Singh
Non-feature film
23 minutes
Language: Konkani
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZsYKD8TIwI
Peace Lily Sandcastle: link to clip of short film.
Peace Lily Sandcastle (2023) is a non-feature film directed by
Himanshu Singh. It is 23 minutes long. A wife and an ex-wife meet and try to
have a conversation. The subject is the
husband Joy but what stands out is the empathy shared by the two women. The
conversation shifts from some documents which have to signed by the ex-wife, to
the upkeep of the house. The ex-wife knows the house like the back of her hand and
advises the younger wife on how to achieve the best results. She suggests that
the placement of the Peace Lily may be changed for it to blossom more fully.
The beauty of the two short films, Witness and Peace Lily is that they scrape the exterior façade of the characters and reveal the inner workings of the human mind. While Witness is male oriented in a way that it focusses on Joaquim, Peace Lily is about the exceptional fortitude of the ex-wife who is still so attached to the house. Peace Lily is directed by a Himanshu who is not a local. But he weaves all the Goan stories together and has come up with 3 shorts which are sequels / stand alone.
They are Kupacho
Daryo / Sea of Clouds; Ardo Dis / Half a Day, and Peace Lily. The
first short was premiered at IFFI52, the second at IFFI53 and the third at IFFI
54. The idea was to push a story. The first short was on the courtship of a
couple; the second on the marriage; and the third is on separation. Being a
trilogy called for the lighting and the editing to be consistent, says the
director. The film has been shot only in natural light.
There is a powerful ideology running through the film
– that of a woman’s freedom. The ex-wife walks out of her marriage with Joy
because she always sensed the presence of the other lady in the mind of her
husband. The closing scend as she walks into the sea by herself content with
her headphones is empowering. She removes her bindi and places another from her
case on her forehead.
#MOG
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| Celina and Lionel in #Mog |
Dir. Nilesh Malkar
128.08 minutes
Nilesh Malkar comes up with a feature film with a
hashtag in #MOG (Love). The movie, for all its froth, addresses a
serious issue and attempts to bring about awareness about ameliorating a
medical condition. It is a sensitive portrayal of love between two young
persons who negotiate the fact that the woman cannot conceive.
The subplot of the movie is about retaining Goan land
and preserving it for the future generations. This is where the ideology of the
film lies. Grieving from the death of his father with whom he had an estranged
relationship, Lionel intends to sell off his restaurant by the sea, pack his
bags, and leave for Canada. However, he meets Celina and the rest is history.
This is a full-length feature film. It is commercial
in every aspect and showcases hybridity in that in # MOG, Bharat
is from the Tamil film industry and Nakshatra is from the Marathi film
industry. The film is recorded in Tamil, Malayalam, and Marathi.
To recover the cost the director has ensured that it
has pan-Indian appeal. Still, the plot resonates with local audiences in Goa
with the actors mouthing Konkani gallantly. The cameo of the Sikh from Delhi who
wants to buy the property serves as comic relief to offset the reality in Goa
today.
Here the intent of the director – to promote the film
widely – and the ideology of the film – to preserve Goan heritage – go hand in
hand. It cautions Goans not to sell their land, and to find meaningful
employment in Goa itself.
Here too the humble background of the people of Goa is foregrounded. Nakshatra is depicted as hailing from a baker’s family – like Joaquim in Witness.
Yashoda
Dir.
Praveen Chougule
Short
17.48
minutes
Language: Marathi
This film is a short film directed by Praveen Chougule
and is about the bond between a woman and her house-help. ‘Yashoda is
the one who has seen Lord Krishna. The film is about that,’ says producer
Rashmi Narse. When the house-help develops AIDS and passes on, the woman adopts
the house-help’s children in a rare gesture of kindness. Because of her
ideology of fairness and justice the woman takes this step and treats the
maid’s children as her own. It says a lot about the bond shared between the two
women where both are seen as equal. The movie is about women and is produced
and directed by women. It is shot in Ponda. The ideology of the production team
is that women everywhere should remain united. This is a powerful statement
which redresses the social inequities in Goa and elsewhere. Most of the
shooting is indoors or in semi-darkness to suggest the squalid nature of
existence of many house helps.
Gathan
 |
| A still from Gathan. |
Dir. Dinesh Bhonsale
Gathan was the opening film for IFFI54. Directed by Dinesh Bhonsale it is a short film of 26.07 minutes. It is shot in Pomburpa and is about the withering relationship between two brothers. The elder brother is a traditional fisherman in his village. The younger brother has moved to Mumbai and is prosperous. He is also callous about the relationship with his elder brother and disdains his invitation to celebrate the wedding of his daughter in the village. After all the preparations are done, the impudent younger brother just does not show up leaving his sibling disillusioned and crestfallen. There is a clash of ideologies here between the two brothers. the elder brother is simple, honest, trusting and rooted in family, nature and the rural setting. The younger brother has not need for these ties. His is a different ideology where he prefers to go it alone. Gathan uses two languages, viz. Konkani and Marathi.
The intent of the director Dinesh is to hope for a
wider viewership of Gathan. He is approaching OTT platforms who will not
touch a Konkani film.
Marwaat
Dir.
Rajaram Gopal Turi
Non-feature
film
11
minutes
Language: Konkani
This film is about forbidden love. The boy loves a girl from the 'Mhar' caste who are bamboo weavers. The ideology of the
boy is that he does not believe in caste. They meet in secret in the forest on
a small culvert. There is so little about this film on the internet.
Crazy Mogi
 |
| Promo of Crazy Mogi. |
Feature film
159 minutes
Language: Konkani
Official Trailer Crazy Mogi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri_i5X0m_hk
The theatre was houseful for this movie. Being a Sunday people had block bookings for the screening at Maquinez palace, Panjim. The movie is more than two and a half hours but the audience enjoyed it. The shorts were much smaller – one just 11 minutes – but it had no takers.
Crazy Mogi is a rom-com where people find their partner through a series of sometimes hilarious misunderstandings. The serious inner searchings as seen in the shorts are not there. Social issues are dealt with gingerly – the main theme being a boy from a neighbouring state of Goa falling in love with a Goan girl; the opposition from her father; and how the couple ingeniously gets around it. Their ideology suggests that what matters is to be a good human being. The intricacies of falling in and out of love are explored.
Conclusion
The seven films at IFFI54 showcase the diversity of Goan ways of life, specially from the hinterland. The shorts provide a glimpse into unexplored territories of the Goan mind. The feature films on the other hand seem to be of the same ilk where there has to be a happy ending above all. Life is not always like that.
Goa is producing thought-provoking films. Aiz Mhaka Falea Tuka directed by Sreejith Karnavar is about a poder getting possessed by a spirit of the forest. The time is long enough (88 minutes) to explore the theme. Vaat (2022) directed by Miransha Naik is about a young farmer who gets ostracized for assaulting his uncle. The stories that endure are in the villages not the cities. The ideologies are many but the intent is the same – make Konkani films more popular.
Sources
Primary
Crazy Mogi. Official Trailer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri_i5X0m_hk
Secondary
Free Press Journal.
‘IFFI 2023: Seven Regional Films Set to Bring Goa’s Cinematic Excellence in the
Spotlight.’ https://www.freepressjournal.in/goa/iffi-2023-seven-regional-films-set-to-bring-goas-cinematic-excellence-in-the-spotlight
Gomantak Times, ‘At the
54th IFFI catch these 7 films from Goa.’ 17 Nov. 2023. Viewed
22-1-24. https://www.gomantaktimes.com/my-goa/art-culture/at-54th-iffi-catch-these-7-films-from-goa
Herald. ‘Goan Films that will enjoy the IFFI Limelight.’ 21 Nov. 2023. Viewed 22-1-24 https://www.heraldgoa.in/Cafe/Goan-films-that-will-enjoy-the-IFFI-limelight/213920
LiveNewsGoa. ‘54th IFFI: Goan Secion Comprises Seven Films.’ November 2023.
https://livenewsgoa.com/54th-iffi-goan-section-comprises-7-films-cine-mela-at-yog-setu/
Machado, Christine. ‘Going Ga-ga at IFFI’ Navhind Times. 2023. https://www.navhindtimes.in/2023/11/24/magazines/buzz/goan-gaga-at-iffi-part-1/
Press Information Bureau. ‘Exotic Package of Goan Films to Start Tomorrow at 54th IFFI.’ 23 Nov. 2023. Viewed 22-1-24. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1979206
Times News Network. ‘Five Goan Films to Make it to the Big Screen at IFFI.’ 22 November, 2021. Viewed 29-1-24. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/five-goan-films-to-make-it-to-the-big-screen-at-iffi/articleshow/87837309.cms
Interviews
Interview with Himanshu Singh, Director of Peace
Lily, Sandcastle. Prudent Media. 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1Q81WdEdck
Interview with Himanshu Singh, Director Ardo Dis. Prudent
Media. 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nVO_1PXqzg
Interview with Nilesh Malkar, director of #MOG. Prudent
Media. 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmKINmoaSvo
Interview with Sonia Sirsat, playback singer for #MOG.
Prudent Media 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDOzNmXlbVI
Interview with Vaat filmmaker Miransha Naik.
Dipankar Sarkar. 20 June 2023. https://vaguevisages.com/2023/06/20/vaat-interview-movie-film-miransha-naik/#:~:text=Set%20in%20present%2Dday%20Goa,of%20place%20or%20too%20preposterous.
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Pic taken at DM's college, Assagao, Goa at the national seminar on 'Locating isms' on 1 March 2024. Updated 3/3/24.
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