iLEAD's Breakthrough Seminar on Underground and Experimental Cinema
The Media Science department of iLEAD organized a thoughtful
seminar on Experimental and Underground cinema. The seminar was focused on
making the students of media science aware of the history, dynamics and current
trends of this exciting branch of film making. The honorable chief guest of
this occasion was an eminent personality from art fraternity- Mr. Shiladitya
Sarkar. He is an eminent art critic and author cum editor of several books on
performing arts. He is also a lecturer on the areas of modernism and
underground cinema. He is also a national level debate champion. The session started with Mr. Sarkar being
felicitated by Mrs. Subha Das Mollick – Faculty of Media Studies
department. After the felicitation, Mr.
Sarkar was invited for giving the lecture on the history and current trends of
experimental cinema. His lecture was filled with several information and film
presentations on underground and experimental cinema. He introduced the
students with the history of both Indian and Western format of this genre of
cinema. In his lecture he even emphasized on the fact that the influence of
great artists were also visible in the iconic films of experimental and
underground cinema. During his lectures he also focused on the style of film
making of great experimental film makers like Maya Deren and Alexandr
Hackenschimed. Their cult film Meshes of the Afternoon was also shown in the
iLEAD auditorium. This experimental
short film of the West was made in 1943 and the duration of the film was 18
minutes. This film incorporates in its repeated images, slow motion and also a
mysterious cloaked figure which is created for examination of an emotional
experience.
A short
film on the great American conceptual artist John Baldessari was also shown in
the seminar. The film revolved around the funny confessions of Mr. Baldessari
of his art and its history of creation. An Indian experimental film Om
Dar-B-Dar was also shown as atypical representative of this genre of film from
India. The film was actually made in 1988 by Mr. Kamal Swaroop, but because of
several social and cultural controversies it released on 17Th January 2014. The
film revolves around the life of a young boy Om who is fascinated with magic
and religion and visits a fantasy city. The session on underground and
experimental cinema came to an end with the understanding of what makes a real
underground and experimental cinema. The inference which was gathered from the
seminar was that whenever any challenging idea is presented through the medium
of cinema it takes the format of an underground and experimental cinema.
About
iLEAD:
Institute
of Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Development (iLEAD) is one of the premier
Media and Management School of Kolkata having world class
infrastructure excellent teaching and non teaching staff and is
using latest educated technologies and is affiliated to West Bengal University
of Technology (WBUT) and is located in the heart of the City. To know more
about iLEAD one can visit: www.ilead.net.in.
