Discovering India segment under limelight at MAMI
MAMI, the 18th Mumbai Film festival which has kicked off with new awards and generous prize money, but of course in the competitive section, is offering a host of new themed packages for cine-philes.
One of these is ‘Discovering India’ which is showcasing six feature films and documentaries that are international in character but connected to a distinctly Indian idiom. These films are made by filmmakers either originating from India or are now living abroad, or by international filmmakers who have shot on India’s diverse locations to reflect its reality with their perspectives.
The Discovering India segment opens with award winning Canada-based Deepa Mehta’s Anatomy of Violence and closes with John Upchurch’s Mango Dreams (USA).
The other four films are Mainak Dhar’s 417 Miles (USA), N Padmakumar’s A Billion Colour Story (India), Paul Cox’s Force of Destiny (Australia-India) and Bettina Ehrhardt’s Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds – The Conductor Zubin Mehta (documentary), (Germany) Frau Ehrhardt's sterling documentary had its international premiere at the NCPA on Zubin Mehta's birthday with the maestro and some of his childhood friends in the audience (as well as the film), most notable being Cipla Ltd chairman Dr Yusuf Hamied, Agni chairperson Gerson da Cunha and author/journalist Anil Dharker.
MAMI, an acronym for the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image was founded in 1997 by a group of film industry stalwarts headed by the late Hrishikesh Mukherjee.
In its 2016 avatar (on till October 27), it is supported by a host of corporate and a few NGOs, notably Oxfam India, a leading non-profit organisation, which works with people to end the injustice of poverty and inequality. Among the highlights at MAMI are special screenings for under-privileged youth.
These films are made by filmmakers either originating from India or are now living abroad, or by international filmmakers who have shot on India’s diverse locations to reflect its reality with their perspectives.