A film-festival and discussion to pay homage to filmmaker Jean- Luc- Godard

Alliance Francaise organised a screening at an art gallery in Kolkata to pay homage to French Master Jean-Luc-Godard recently. The one-day film festival was followed by a panel discussion with eminent personalities like Anjan Dutt, Sanjoy Mukhopadhyay, Prof of Film Studies at a renowned university, Ananya Chakraborty, a documentary filmmaker, and Ratnottama Sengupta (Film Journalist) moderated by Raju Raman.

The discussion revolved around Godard’s impact on the history of world film and the panel also reflected on the many reasons why one must watch his work.

Talking about the films of Godard, Anjan Dutt expressed how his films urged one to think and think deeply. “Godard made films on the move, his movies were designed at the editing table where he would produce new language of cinema,” said Dutt, adding, “Godard never tried to create an illusion with his films, he was never afraid to make the audience feel about the apparatus he was using. His films were real and not an image of the ‘real world’."

Referring to Godard as a thinker and philosopher of his time, Sanjoy Mukhopadhyay said, “Godard never wanted to revolt against the traditional film form, he just wanted everyone to watch films differently.”

During the discussion Ratnottama Sengupta pointed out how Godard never made films to soothe the audience and said, “He intentionally made films to disturb us, he deliberately wanted to show that films are not real life, they are made with some techniques to make them look similar to real life and Godard exposed those techniques.”