Why should a film be just one event ? Is it possible to share the evolution of a film – and create a community around it ? To share my thoughts and those of the others around it so the ultimate experience for the viewer is more personal and involved ?
Absolutely fantastic idea.
WoodStock was not just a music festival but a cultural gathering.
If you can let others participate in the movie and feel part of it through events or shots of movie where good samaritans can take part in rallies or activities across the globe, it can be a colloborative process..
Or you can run a competition in youtube where people can post their own videos for snippets to be selected in the field..These are guerialla tactics..but my 2 cents..
YES
PAANI
basic need
desire
need
should reach everyone …
Pls letus learn from PAA
people, communities involved
and it reached the world …
and will keep reaching more
for success beyond imagination …
ofcourse, we would welcome that. Being that the subject is so important to each one of us.
Nice Idea Sir.
Shekhar
What you are saying, is not New!!!
So many of your movies, I tried to follow since I was a kid, but many of them died in the Evolution, may be they were not the fittest to survive the creative evolution.
I still remember your interview in Video called “Lehren”, about “Time Machine”, where you tell that Amir Khan meets struggling Amitabh. But Time Machine did not survive the test of time.
Be it Time Machine, Tara rum pum, Long walk to Freedom, Nine O clock war, Buddha, all these films which your audience was very much involved,never saw the light of the day.
So even if you don’t directly share the experience, the viewers will still be involved on their own personal level.
That will be great,Sir.
Deepak R,
You have a really smooth blog there, especially dug the Bruce Lee and advaita video. Advaita is the ultimate level of “cool”, i guess when people use that word, they are probably describing a non-dual observation.
I think it is possible to create a community around a film. Gr8 idea indeed.
hey it’s a good idea a community or a blog should be created because a celebrity like u will help the cause and bring attention which is needed and again it will show that u are not taking this as just a film but also social issue and some one has to start this y not u ??
And again u has a lot knowledge regarding this issue because of ur research on paani
Shekhar Kapur:
I know of no other way to contact you. So… here goes. Your Elizabeth films — superb!
There’s another Queen you might be interested in filming: JOCASTA, a preface to Sophocles’ OEDIPUS REX.
See http://www.archive.org/details/JOCASTA
Here’s its Epilogue:
FROM THE JOCASTA POEMS
#15 — BLINDNESS
After twenty years of peace and
prosperity, happiness,
procreation, Oedipus found
out what Jocasta already knew,
and put out his eyes. Thus
began western civilization.
Namaste,
Jan Haag
Superb Idea….A crowd sourced movie 🙂 (I am a computer programmer:)) Open source in software space has significant impact in quality of software. Its brave move..equally risky…demands more work and a lot of decision making as community will have many different views.
Best part paani would be reality. Lot of romance should not take over the topic. Character should be someone who ‘Acts’ not ‘Over Act’…Reality should be shown in right way..Not just showing under-belly. Should be enjoyable not really just pain and pain again….
Some good movie i remember is Split Wide Open.
All the best…
brahmastra, thanks. One of the hidden gems I have recently enjoyed is – a translation of Gaudapada, Adi Sankara, Suresvara and Padmapada discourses
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Method-Early-Advaita-Vedanta-Gaudapada/dp/8120817222
In case it interests anyone who wants to peek into the thinking minds of 7th century CE..seemingly academic to begin, but finally an astounding and engaging commentary into the univeral and timeless truth,uncovered through Advaita, that is as relevant as this moment.
Dear Mr. Shekhar Kapur, Seasons’ Greetings to you & Best Wishes on your making of your dream project “Paani”. On the issue of “Paani” let us remember “Thaneer Thaneer” a Tamil film made in 1981 (Ref: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Thaneer Thaneer:Directed by K. Balachander
Written by K. Balachander
Starring Saritha; Shunmugham;V. K. Veeraswami
M. R. Radha; Charle
Cinematography B. S. Lokanathan[1]
Release date(s) 1981
Running time 143 mins
Country India
Language Tamil
Thaneer Thaneer is a 1981 Indian Tamil language Drama film directed by K. Balachander starring Saritha, Shunmugham, V. K. Veeraswami and M. R. Radha.[1][3]
Plot
Thaneer Thaneer is a political drama and a universal human story. This is a film about greed, power and powerlessness. When a remote village faces severe water shortages, the inhabitants adopt all possible means to bring their problem to the attention of the authorities. But the process soon reveals the apathetic attitude of politicians, bureaucrats and the press alike. A convict wanted for the murder of a local landlord turns the villagers’ plight to his advantage and begins a co-operative scheme to transport water in a cart from a spring ten miles away.[2]
Reviews
Featuring fine performances, this film fared well at many international festivals where it was screened. Audiences were moved by the film’s realistic depiction of life in rural India, far removed from the exotic dream world of much popular cinema
NO … a film is foremost one person idea…
it may be director or producer….
do not degrade the film as community event…
Dear Sir,
I am a Film Producer from Germany, working on a high profile movie project in Jaipur, Rajasthan since two years, which is planned pretty much as what you intend your Paani-project to be: as a parallel community event, which will adress and solve some of the water and pollution and many more problems of the city of Jaipur, most probably in cooperation with the ASHOKA Foundation (see http://www.ashoka.org) of social entrepreneurship (the guys who sponsered Mohammad Yunus’ project of his Microcredit Bank to rural women in Bangladesh). Please contact me asap, so we can exchange some ideas and concepts, and I can tell You a bit more about the extraordinary woman, on which I am preparing this movie project.
Sir Dev Anand, Your great uncle, knew this lady pretty well…please contact me, with cordial greetings, Yours Klaus Thora
Hey Deepak,
director makes a film sheer on his research and what is better than making a community and getting numerous views and experience stories.
Shekhar…i think this is one of the unique idea.
—Trupti
Trupti!
If you addressed me, I would like to tell you that there are more disadvantages then merits in community participation.
And he writes about ultimate experience that is personal and involved. Going by the latest post, he has almost made up the mind.
But, personally I think if he is doing for script development it is ok or else this would not work. A film is an expression of art and art cannot be made by everyone!
Art, has to come from one person. The director, the concept generator. It just cannot be shared. It is divine. And that is why I have used the term degradation.
Nobody knows what he is making except a few!
Individual matters most when such work is undertaken not individuals. The problem is nobody is talking about characters in the film. Is this an event film? Then there is greater danger I forsee.
It may be unique idea, I may be wrong. But as far my personal opinion is concerned…it wont be satisfactory.
If you did not address to me, ignore the comment
so finally are we creating a community???
YES 🙂
in fact it must. I think that is exactly where we are headed with the digital revolution, though it will be a while before it becomes a mass way.
Film is a lived medium. The process of watching it attaches a new meaning each time it is watched and by each person it is watched. If the making of it becomes a community effort a film can do its real work. The film can then have real empathy from a viewer and become a ‘change bringer’.
When a community stands behind a project, it becomes effortless.
Participant Media uses film as a medium to harness change and better the lives of those affected by the issue their films are based on; Dafur Express, Kite Runner, Syrianna, An Inconvenient Truth… to name a few.
Shekharji,
What kind of community is in your mind I dont know. We all are connected with internet and share our thoughts on a perticular topic and it is a kind of community.
Knowing this perfectly well you must not be talking about this. It seems to be a new idea which were never existed before.
Hmm dont know how to get this through..
Hmm Shekar.. I gathered that you are making a film on Water.. I recently made a film on Water called “Living Water” This is based on the gospel about 4.30 min and thereafter current issues on water..This was screened at the 4th Water Intl Film Festival which is a traveling film festival till date. I don’t know how I can help…Based in Banglaore.. I also know that you are looking for an assistant….I was moved miraculously into media when I was laid off . My blog will give you a brief overview. My prime focus has been environment, gospel, social projects -women and child , travel and cross culture. Traveling to Sikar for a shoot with community there.
I know this not the best place to advertise and this is truly not a publicity stunt. Need your contact details and see how I can contribute to the film.
God Bless
Dear Shekhar
I was recently in Mumbai and heard you are making a film on water…I recently made film on water.. It’s called living Water. Foundation was laid on the gospel. The film was also screened at the 4th International Festival on Water…To avoid any issues Living Water was not screened in the main venue.
.
I was moved into the Media miraculously . The post in my blog – “my walkin into the media “ , explains it all. I am interested in subjects such as -Environment, Social Projects ( women and child) , travel, cross culture and The Gospel.
This is truly not a publicity stunt. Requesting you for your contact details. Would love to assist you.
God Bless
Divya Bhatt
http//:theadonaifilms.blogspot.com
During reading the comments/ responses I think there are people who share your thoughts and those of the others around Paani by reading your blog, thinking about it and answering.
But you want more. The film is the next step, where people are involved passive by watching the film.
The topic is water and the water wars between rich and poor, which includes a love story.
By creating a song in english- hindi- arabian- french-spanish- chinese etc.( languages which are spoken word wide) the issue could go around the world. A.R. Rahman needs a song with potential for entering in the charts.
By choosing Hrithik Roshan and Christoph Walz you have choosen great actors who will attrac many people to come and watch the film(world wide).
Maybe the partner(leading lady) should be an unknowen actress, nice to watch but not to nice (sexy) to watch, because I fear the attention is drawing apart from the topic( like in Koppenhaagen) Someone who has a strong personality, a kindness and a real interest in your goals(water, the right for all humans equally to water, environment and the future prospects). Like you wrote “Being attractive on the outside may be important, but the ‘art’ of acting is to be attractive on the ‘inside’.
If your film is ready, you could use a part of the entrance fee for building a Solar Desalination System (Seawater – drinking water) in Mumbai open for everybody/equal. Or the system of watersupply has to change in Mumbai?(I don´t know the exact situation whats like in India and whats best to do, it´s an suggestion from me who lives in europe.)You publicized about the situation in May 2010 and I think the situation will not solve alone. It would be a good aim. And a useful one too.
It might start as a project and can continue by a the involved viewer, who understands.
The leader should be you.Because you started the brainchild.
I´m sorry about my bad english but I hope you can understand what I mean.
Janita
When i turned off the computer and walked outside a light dawned on me.
Yes it is possible to share your thoughts and those of the others around it so the ultimate experience for the viewer is more personal and involved ?
Install an live camera an the set.
It´s not only one event. You can do it when you like (if not every day).
The viewer is as close as possible on the evolution of the film Paani.
When you wish to express yourself, ask for new ideas or like to be in touch with people who like to be involved you can be on line in a chat-room.
I would like to hear what you think about it.
Janita