A moving story in images
Documentary Screening
Smriti Nandan Cultural Centre recently held a screening of the documentary ‘My Camera and Tsunami’.
This 90- minute-documentary, directed by Venkatramani Ramakrishnan, consisted of various images which told the story of the director and his memories of the camera which he lost in the tsunami of 2004.
‘My Camera and Tsunami’ begins with a dedication to the victims of the tsunami of 2004. But the film-maker points out that the film was actually made as a homage to his camera.
Ramani had lost a few of his friends in the tsunami, and was nearly killed in it too. He reminisces, “On December 26, 2004, when the tsunami struck the southern coast of India, I was standing there by sheer coincidence. When the huge wave started forming and rolling towards the shore at a great speed, I started filming it with my camera.” He adds, “My camera was recording it when the wave hit me squarely and I nearly drowned. I survived though the camera, including the footage, got completely damaged.”
He had been clutching his camera through the entire episode. The footage that he had shot, however, moments before the wave crashed upon them was entirely ruined.
The film shares several special moments that the filmmaker had experienced with his camera, a special bonding over a period of four years in creating cinematic imagery and making several of his films.
The documentary showcases a series of recollections about the other films he’d worked on with the camera. And importantly, the visual modes, narratives and impressions that he had captured through its lenses. He explained that his relationship with his camera ran deeper than people would imagine.
“It is not just a camera for me. It was also a human being in a way. Though it’s an inanimate object, it was essentially a very close thing to me.” Apart from this, Ramani extensively speaks about the politics of an image in the film. “I constantly look at how images are formed and marketed. In this film, I have addressed the process of filmmaking and created an image,” he explains.
An intensely personal work of documentation which also strings together footage from his past films, ‘My Camera and Tsunami’, highlights Ramani’s contemplative style in a very apt way.
The screening saw a huge participation. Sarah, a student, who was present at the screening, said, “This was a very special film and it managed to strike a chord with everyone present. We could connect with the thoughts of the director. It was not only about the camera but it highlighted the devastation and the aftermath of the tsunami in a very effective way.”
