Director Santhosh Sivan is excited! His latest flick Urumi will open the Indian Panorama section of the International Film Festival of India ( IFFI) 2011.
The ace cinematographer-director says it's "happy news" for him. The director is also upbeat about the fact that Urumi has received rave reviews at many international film festivals.
Sivan, who loves to deal with themes about conflict, believes that every piece of land has been an area of conflict, at least technically. "In the past, people came as traders and invaded lands. Look around us today. History repeats. People come as settlers and invade the area. Every piece of land therefore becomes an area of conflict. The conflict continues and that's why Urumi is a film that is relevant in today's time as well," he explains.
In Urumi, he talks about the first white man to arrive here. "To the west, he was a discoverer. But for us, he was a conqueror," he points out.
Sivan is known for the use of landscape in his films. "When I make a film, landscape becomes another character. Just like people have character, I see character in landscapes as well," he says.
For him, filmmaking in India is unique. Songs and dance are part of our storytelling culture. "If you tell stories that are true, stories that once took place here, people will like it," he reveals.
From cinematography, he has graduated to direction. He has also tried his hands with writing, production and, quite recently, with acting as well! For someone who used to be the master behind camera, the experience of working in front of camera was "terrific". Though, behind the scenes is where Santosh is most comfortable.
No comments:
Post a Comment