Enjoying world cinema....

It���s confirmed now. You don���t have to be living in a metro to avail of and enjoy world cinema.
As more and more Gujaratis are appreciating the richness and diversity of world cinema, many avenues to screen and watch these films are being introduced in the state. Just as Ahmedabad is gearing up for an international film festival this month, Vadodara and Surat have film clubs which screen international films and they have their loyal share of audience.
Shiladitya Bora, who is associated with an international film festival says, ���There is a ready audience for world cinema in the many premier institutes that Ahmedabad plays host to. These young people are discerning, they have the exposure to different genres and know what they want. But there is also another set of polished Amdavadis who appreciate world cinema and all that it has to offer.���
And the latter is growing if experts are to be believed. Ajitpal Singh, a world cinema buff and a filmmaker from Ahmedabad says, ���I have done extensive research on the distribution and exhibition aspects of independent films in Ahmedabad and many people from various walks of life have shown keen interest. This can be credited to the simplification of the content world wide. Erstwhile filmmakers were rebellious and made abstract films which many could not understand, which isn���t the case now.���
Talking about the term ���abstract,��� for a long time, world cinema has been wrongly associated with art-house values which have discouraged the less sophisticated viewers but with technology to aid, the scenario is improving. Confirms Sunil Jain, founder of a film club in Surat, ���Technological advancements like better quality dubbing and English subtitles help a lot.���
However Sameer Ganapathy, business head of a movie channel says, ���You don���t cry in English or get angry in German. Emotions are universal. Language is never a barrier for a good film which has a compelling storyline. World cinema is a melting pot of different cultures. It is a window to the world.��� When world cinema is written or talked about in the media, it creates curiosity among an average movie goer who will then go in to watch a foreign film as well. ���The Italian film Postman saw a full house in Surat last month. Even regional films like Bengali and Marathi ones have been appreciated here,��� reveals Sunil.
Along with takers, what is equally important is the infrastructure. Rues Jay Merchant who is actively involved with a film club in Vadodara, ���We had to stop our operations for a while because of the lack of availability of a venue. The frantic calls from audience have made me determined to start again and with some fresh dimensions. I have screened not only French, Iranian and German films in the past but also regional ones like Rajasthani, Oriya and South Indian films and the response has been amazing.���
Confirms Sameer Ganapathy, ���The audience for world cinema essentially consists of the upwardly mobile. It���s about a cinema lover who looks at it from a different viewpoint and Gujarat is a pure reflection of this as it is a young and vibrant state. Ahmedabad is on our radar and we will soon introduce other forms in the value chain such has home videos in Gujarat.���
What comes as great news is that world cinema lovers will no longer have to wait for film festivals or screenings to watch a good foreign film. ���The talks are on for finalising an MOU with a local multiplex and we shall screen a world movie every week,��� says Shiladitya.
So hurry, grab your window seat as the flight takes on the world!