'Independent filmmakers should stand out against Bollywood'

Q: How did your foray into alternate filmmaking begin?
Lisa: It all started in the late eighties when there was this voice against commercialization of the art scene and the media. The cry against manipulation of media by the corporate world gave birth to the grunge scene. We were actively involved in it. I was in a punk band and Paolo in a grunge band.
Q2: Being part of the grunge scene you must have shared the same platform with some of the iconic names involved in grunge.Can you describe your shared experiences?
Lisa: It has been a great experience. Some of the people who took active part became icons. One such person was, of course, Kurt Cobain. He stood for the music and music alone. There were others who also did their bit and contributed to the music. But Cobain stood apart. It was a memorable experience working with him.
Q3: How does Echo Park help filmmakers?
Paolo: It was established in 2002 and for 12 years we have been involved in it. It is a non-profit media arts organization. We provide the required access to aspiring and new filmmakers in an affordable way to different kinds of resources required in filmmaking. We have close to 9,000 experimental films and documentaries shot in microcamera since 2002. We have also held film classes in neglected places.
Q4: What are the other projects of Echo Park Film Centre?
Paolo: We have the Echo Park Filmmobile that was started in 2007. We take the mobile bus to different communities and show our programmes to people who live beyond Los Angeles. The bus runs on waste vegetable oil and green vegetables. It is a model of sustainability that celebrates the long and noble tradition of itinerant cinema.
Q5: You are vocal speakers against the manipulation of media and in the US, it is a major issue. Is there an attempt by the corporate media to swallow the independent media?
Lisa: There is a section of media that is standing out against the corporate culture in the US. The independent filmmakers want to speak their minds and show what their art has to offer. The attempt to dominate will be there. But what remains to be seen is how we stand against the studios and the corporate media. We want to create an attitude so that people open up and pursue their creative goals in an independent manner.
Q6: How do you view the scenario in India?
Lisa: Since this is our first trip to India, we have not done observed a great deal. But what we have seen is that Bollywood is really the dominant force here. We do not know much about the alternate filmmaking scene here but I hope that independent filmmakers make it a point to stand out against Bollywood. We would want to reintroduce the mobile bus, which was present here at one point of time. This can be used in the rural areas where using a bedsheet as a screen, classic films can be shown. The idea is to open up people's minds to quality art and cinema.
Q7: What was the main objective of your workshop concluded recently?
Paolo: We made sure that the aspiring filmmakers got a feel about the art of making films by using Super 8 cameras and on film processing using materials such as caffenol, coffee, tea, plant extracts and even natural dyes. Since using natural ingredients was unheard of, we wanted to create awareness. I am sure that after getting acquainted with the methods, the participants in the workshop will use the technique in their next projects.
Q8: Do you feel new technology is feasible to the environment?
Lisa: Many people do not know that digital filmmaking is not good for the environment.
Q9: Your three-part series on different rivers of the world speaks about the symphony of the cities attached to the river. And the fourth part was on Brahmaputra. What was your experience?
Lisa: The Brahmaputra has a massive personality that cannot be explained in plain words. It is important to save and preserve it. But we do not want to be preachy about.
Yes, pollution is a big problem but is up to the people on how they can save it.