A script less journey through visuals-A nine-minute meditation( REVIEW OF a TV production)

A script less journey through visuals-A nine-minute meditation

Vinod c.v

Visuals do communicate. It is the impression one carries after seeing a nine-minute video film made by students of electronic journalism of Trivandrum press club

In this short film images are collected from sources like commonplace locales and ordinary sights in the streets. It looks like a product of an unplanned journey conducted through uncharted territories. Camera is behaving as if it is freed from the tyranny of premeditated path and predetermined script. Things are unfolding and evolving in this journey

Another interesting aspect of this wok is that it is devoid of any audio support in terms of narration. Enough space is given for the silence to bloom. This is noteworthy as viewer is released from the shackles of middleman in the garb of narrator and nobody is there to negotiate between viewer and visuals. It is a direct communication uncorrupted by intermediaries. As the visuals are poignant and powerful, an audio supported narration might have limited the possibilities of the visuals, if not corroded the innocence of it. Music is used wisely and it is supported by aptly suiting four liners from well-known Malayalam poems.

Visuals in this film hold a meditative quality in it. As it is a map less, or rather path less journey, one wouldn’t know what to expect in the next shot. In fact one will not expect anything and he finds himself beyond expectation. Unlike the traditional approach, where a viewer is simultaneously weaving story line and readying his mind for next shot, here one will lose one self in visuals and forget neatly about the impending frames. Thus this film effectively fixes and grounds the viewer in the present. This experience of emptying the expectation and raising the viewer to the state of ‘just see it’ state of mind lends meditative character to this short film.

The beauty of this nine-minute experiment is that each frame is complete in itself. It is an expression in fullness. Visuals are serene modest and rich. Though each frame is total in itself, it is falling in right slots while placed in the film.

Some of the frames like an old man looking nonchalantly, has brilliantly captured the mood of the environment. Camera is successful in catching the meaning of the meaninglessness of his face. It is like seeing a disturbingly blank face, but with a lot of unspoken messages, difficult to be deciphered. The flat expression in his eyes is agonisingly evocative.

The sight of the youth of Indian right in khaki shorts is contrastingly followed by sermons from a Christian charismatic convention. The slow motion technique used and audio back ground of a marching army while showing white shirt wearing youth is effective and is hitting the target. Here visuals do forewarn, with out loud mouthing it about the coming of a roller coaster ride and in a single shot conveys the brutalizing power and terrorising potential of a violent march with undemocratic impulses.(it’s shot from an RSS route march)With right mixing of audio support and visuals, here the film finds it magic and finesse

Another scene where woman lying and writhing in pain in the base of an erected steel pole of a communist party is loaded with messages and striking. This scene accompanied by the two line poem is subtly reminds one of the failed romance with left which raised great expectations during 40’s to 60’s and probably till mid 80’s through occasional, outbursts.

Having said all these, the nice part of this short film is that everything remain unsaid Nowhere the film assumes an activists role or altruistic mode It just sheds light and leaves the viewer alone to see and judge for himself. Even then what camera is seeing or showing sends a message. But it is in a very subtle, covert and soft-spoken manner. It is a decent and civilized way of telling things. Camera is mature enough to be unexcited .it is refreshing to see the modesty in the presentation

As this nine minutes of experience is culled from a five our long video shooting, the efforts and attention, the team behind the work should have put in editing is imaginable. To their credit, they have done it succinantly.

On the flip side of this short film, it is noticed that many of the frames is not physically flowing fluently. It can be a technical flaw. While giving some lines from very well known N. N Kakkad poem SAFALAMEE YATHRA, which he has s written in the last stages of his life as an intimate talk to his life time companion as the audio support for a scene, the voice and tone of the singer is not carrying either spirit of the poem or scene. It seemed singer is singing the title song of a serial. Soft and haunting voice of a woman should have been used there.

The name given to the short film ”OM” can be widely misunderstood in this troubled times. Situation is being that Indian ultra right has cleverly hijacked symbols of collective past to suit its designs, one would have to be more circumspect while dealing such things. And it evokes the memories of some commercial filmmakers illiterate penchant for shallow diving into Indian spirituality to capitalise on the popular mood. But the naming of OM for the film can also be seen as a bold attempt to reclaim the words lost to the violent crowd.
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