Filmmaker Rima Das talks about her films ‘Village Rockstars 2’ and ‘My Melbourne’
Filmmaker Rima Das from Assam is the talk of the town, not just for the sequel to her film Village Rockstars which received the Kim Jiseok Award for Best Film at the 29th Busan Film Festival, but also for the anthology My Melbourne, which is travelling across film festivals like the International Film Festival of Melbourne, Mumbai International Film Festival, and the Kolkata International Film Festival.
Rima is up for inclusivity in the industry, especially with regards to talents from the Northeast and believes that it’s okay for the rest of India to not understand the Northeast well. But she adds that as she takes her state to a wider audience, she will also be responsible for creating better and more opportunities for the talents from the region. We speak to the director about her films, the challenges she faced and more.
Excerpts:
Tell us about Village Rockstars 2. Why was the win at the Busan Film Festival important?
I first started thinking about the sequel when I was making Bulbuls Can Sing. The first part ends on the note with the mother bringing the girl a guitar, and I thought it would be great if I showed what happens next. I grew up in a village myself, so I could relate to it a lot. I never thought of producing my directorial, but when the film was ready and I went to speak to people, they were very skeptical about how the film will fare.
Busan (film festival) was special to us, because the first part didn’t travel there. And the win was a surprise to us because I wasn’t sure if the jury had watched the first part of the film.
But the win gave us courage and confidence. Even at the Mumbai International Film Festival, it was much appreciated. I am super happy, especially when people say that this is the perfect sequel.
What do you think are the challenges of making an independent film?
Challenges like a shoestring budget, time constraints, and simpler equipment have always been there, but the visibility of the film remains the main challenge. Even if it is travelling to a lot of places, or people are giving rave reviews, making the film visible to a larger audience is a big challenge. I think the film fests help in visibility.
Even if films do great at the festivals, they sometimes struggle commercially. What’s your take on that?
I have always been saying that we need great producers with good intentions. Cinema is an art form and it shouldn’t be made just to make money. Even if you pick up an old piece of plate, you will understand how it has been well-thought-out and made with a lot of love and affection. Art forms act as a mirror to society, and we need more producers who can back up this thought. These movies often leave a long impact on people’s minds, and are good pieces for future generations. Without these, we’ll probably have a shallow society.
Tell us about the collaboration for the My Melbourne anthology.
My Melbourne is special because it was my first project outside India. Four of us (Kabir Khan, Imtiaz Ali, Onir, and I) shot the films separately. I didn’t know what my fellow directors were shooting or what their stories were. My subject was disability and my film in the anthology is called Emma, which is about a talented deaf dancer Emma who grapples with self-doubt and discrimination until a chance encounter with another deaf dancer inspires her to embrace her uniqueness and find her inner strength. And it was really fun to work with an all-woman crew, except the cinematographer. We were very keen to make it look authentic, and the lead actor who played Emma is a dancer with a hearing impairment—even the girl who played younger Emma is hearing impaired. We wanted to make sure that inclusivity is not just a buzzword.
How difficult was it to make a mark as a woman filmmaker from the Northeast?
I went to Mumbai to become an actor, and it was a big cultural shock for me. I felt I was not efficient. Somehow, because of the way I look coming from the Northeast or the way I speak, I wasn’t fitting in. Later when I showed interest in filmmaking, I didn’t dare to even assist anyone. I self-taught myself and got ready for my first film, Man with the Binoculars, but faced challenges working with the team. There was a feeling that people were doubting me, there was no freedom and it wasn’t a comfortable situation. It led to a lot of anger and disappointment. But young musicians from poor family backgrounds saved me. They performed music on stage and celebrated life. This gave me a lot of confidence and courage to start working independently. My first film did grab a lot of attention, travelling to Talin and Mumbai film festivals. Since then my films started talking for me.
