Ritanjali Hastir, Associate Editor, 2nd October, 2016, Shimla
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
As KEEKLI took the first step last month by bringing the art of film-making to the door step of Laureate Public School, it simply opened doors for the creative art form to flow down to more aspiring children. Destination next was Roots Country School, Baagi, where a similar workshop was convened by Keekli Media House once again in association with noted documentary film maker, Vivek Mohan.
The workshop and interactive session was held on October 2 for students of Classes 7th to 12th. The award winning film maker unfolded the secrets of film-making as enthusiastic children soaked in every bit of information presented on a never before witnessed platform.
Vivek, whose work keeps him away from his hometown Shimla for long durations, has a strong desire to get back to his roots and open the doors of film-making to the children here. That cinema is much more than conventional Bollywood and holds a vast sea of opportunities for the passionate, is Vivek’s message to the young and aspiring.
During the workshop Vivek interacted with the students and put their curiosities to rest by providing them an insight into alternative cinema and telling them the right places to get to if they wish to follow film-making as a serious profession.
Three films by the director, namely, Haath – The Hand, Jingle Bells and A View from the Window.were screened for the students of Roots Country School. The idea was to help children understand that films do not necessarily mean big budget or a star ensemble. Each film had an underlying message. Haath, based on a short story by Rekha Vashisht and featuring Shreya Sharma, is about overcoming your fears, moving beyond mental blocks and leading a happy life. Bemoaning the aspect of urbanisation is Jingle Bells that leaves behind a lesson in ecology. That change is the only constant that happens each day and yet nothing changes ever is the theme of A View from the Window. With films that touch lives closely and are miles away from the world of make believe commercial cinema, Vivek brought home to the students’ films that mean.
The response from the students was overwhelming. They were extremely happy to be exposed to the option of film-making as a career and were very inquisitive about the same.
The workshop turned out to be a great success as children from this small conventional town of Himachal woke up to explore newer possibilities and avenues that the world has to offer to them. TEAM KEEKLI is grateful to Principal Sunil Rotha for providing an opportunity to interact with the students and giving their valuable time.
