The passion for telling stories has catapulted this filmmaker from the small coastal town to Japan in the far east. Aravindan G.P, who began his career as a lawyer in Chennai, drifted towards film making; completing cinematography at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune and working in the mainstream film industry.
For a person who views cinema as a medium to reinvent and renew culture, an invitation to be part of Kyoto Filmmakers Lab last month was a golden opportunity. Every year, the Museum of Kyoto conducts Kyoto Historica International Film Festival, in which the historical films of Japan set in the Edo time period are revisited.
Aravindan, representing India, joined an international crew to work in the Kyoto Filmmakers Lab.
“You will be aware that some of the most significant works of Japanese filmmakers such as Akira Kurusawa, Kenji Mizoguchi, Masaki Kobayashi are ‘Jidaigeki’ (Samurai) films, set in the Edo period. Film makers from all around the world are selected and made into two teams. They supported by two major film studios of Japan — Sochiku Studio and Toei Studio.
“We are given scripts which are set in the Edo period and the support to shoot the script in the very same set-ups which the great masters of Japanese cinema worked. There was guided access to their Samurai costumes, martial art trainers, sword play, art direction etc., I was selected to be the cinematographer for the Sochiku team. We shot a small story written by one of the crew members which was adapted from the famous stories of Ugetsu Monogatari (by Ueda Akinari) for two days,” he said.
During his stay from October 27 to November 3, he was chosen to be the cinematographer, working with a director from Spain, production manager from Indonesia, art director from Mexico, writers and two others from Japan, an assistant director from Brazil and sound recordist from Singapore.
Cultural relevance
“It is an international crew shooting Japanese values. We are supposed to show our work after it is completed. Kyoto Filmmakers Lab is visionary because through this, the Japanese make their culture relevant internationally,” he said, adding that at the same time it does not become rhetoric. “They are renewing whatever they have achieved through cinematic medium. This is extremely important for any culture to be relevant and sustain. Otherwise, it becomes rigid and not applicable to everyone,” Mr Aravindan said.
The filmmakers also had the opportunity to interact with Italian writers, and the organisers of Sydney film festival and Hong Kong Film festival.
Having worked in the mainstream film industry, Mr. Aravindan said, “There is a profusion of stories today in our country. Stories need not be told only for making money because they have the potential to transcend societies and culture. We need stories which should help people to live without suspicion and connect to each other.”
