JOIN USFilmmaker Arun Kuckreja is back with his annual film screenings. ‘A pentacle of Avant Garde Films’ – a set of five experimental short films – is set to be premiered at Gulmohar hall, India Habitat Centre on June 5. Arun says all these five films are a tribute to life, death and our achievements in between.
Arun Kuckreja is the founder of the experimental filmmaking banner Cinemaghar for which he has directed over 25 short and full-length films. Every year, Cinemaghar showcases his recently made films and this time five short movies – My dear Nehru, Bard - The Quadrivium, House of God, Premiere and Wizard – are set to be screened.
Arun says, “Human life is an intriguing subject and the times of acclaimed personalities amongst us are all the more interesting. Most of these movies are biographical in nature, though, you will see that they have been crafted most unusually.”
First in line will be My dear Nehru – Arun’s tribute to the Nehru-Gandhi family. It describes the lives of Pt Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi - generously taking from archival photographs, books and whatever audio and video CDs available. Arun says, “It is also a movie for my parents who admired Jawaharlal Nehru.”
Bard - The Quadrivium is what he calls ‘a julgalbandhi of William Shakespeare’s All the World is a Stage and Samuel Beckett’s Breath on celluloid.’ It is a film in four vulgates, starring thespian Sunit Tandon and introducing sign language educator, Priya Rathore besides others. Music has been taken from Pt Ravi Shankar-Zubin Mehta archives.
Arun has dedicated House of God to Bharti Wallace – the heroine of his film Smile – who died shortly after the film was completed. Arun also appears as an actor in this film. It incorporates songs of legendary singers Elvis Presley (Precious Lord) and Michael Jackson’s (Give Thanks To Allah).
Premiere elaborates on the cycle of birth and death using dance, mainly hand movements, and Pablo Picasso’s paintings on the same subject. It also introduces a sattriya dance exponent Sanjukta Barooah. Music is by Ludwig van Beethoven and Antonio Vivaldi (Archives).
Lastly, Wizard is a compliment to theatre light designer RK Dhingra. Arun says, “RK has done a commendable job in a niche area like theatre light designing. I felt I must appreciate him and what better way than through the
celluloid.”