The Audience Defines the Soul of a Film
The fourth edition of "Meet the Director" provided a platform for filmmakers to share their personal and professional journeys, offering insightful commentary on their creative processes and the challenges they faced while working in diverse cultural and political contexts.
Moderated by Meera Sahib, the session analysed the resilience and determination of filmmakers committed to telling meaningful and powerful stories to a diverse audience. The filmmakers, including Subhadra Mahajan, Afrad V K, Aaryan Chandra Prakash, Krishand R K, Pedro Freire, Florencia de Mugica, Midhun Murali, and Karina Simonyan, shared their experiences and the challenges they faced in the industry.
The conversation spanned a range of topics, from personal narratives to broader societal themes, highlighting cinema's profound ability to heal, resist, and empower. As Subhadra Mahajan noted, "A film is incomplete without its audience."
The filmmakers discussed the financial, cultural, and technical constraints they faced, including limited resources, cultural barriers, and personal struggles. Despite these challenges, they remained committed to telling their stories, often drawing from their own experiences and memories. Pedro Freire, director of "Malu," revealed that his mother's bipolar disorder had a profound impact on his scriptwriting process, drawing heavily from his personal memories. Karina Simonyan, producer of "Yasha and Leonid Brezhnevy," discussed the challenges faced during the making of the film, which was banned in Russia due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
The session concluded with a celebration of the diverse and creative minds of international filmmakers, showcasing the unique challenges and stories behind their films. As the filmmakers noted, the true power of cinema lies in its ability to connect with audiences and inspire meaningful change.
