Glimpses of World Cinema: February 2008

My article published in Janayugam news paper on Ms. Joya, a brave Afghan activist

Profile

Born in Thiruvananthapuram, capital city of Kerala on 20/05/1981. A Physics graduate and has done masters in Environmental Sciences. Also done PG Diploma in Science and Development Communication from C-DIT. Married to Surya S Kurup

Worked as programme producer in N-TV and produced entertainment, science and development video programmes. Worked in C-DIT as programme producer of very famous popular science series (22 episodes)SASTRAKAUTHUKAM (Curiosity in Science) which was telecasted in DD (Malayalam).

In 2003 joined Vigyan Prasar, Dept. of Science & Technology, New Delhi as Technical Assistant. During this period co-ordinated the production of Aisa Hi Hota Hai, a well-known science video magazine telecasted by Doordarshan (National), India. Also assisted indoor audio programme production and Video programme production.

In 2005 joined Jahangirabad Media Institute, U.P as lecturer (visual media). Here contributed in different levels like Curriculum development, Programme Production and National Student Video Film Festival. Delivered lectures on topics like Film Appreciation, Visual language, Theory and Practical classes on Videography and Non-linear Editing, Documentary Film Production, History of Indian film industry, etc., In 2006 promoted to Associate Professorship.

Initiated the concept of National Student Video Film Festival (NSVFF) and organised 1st and 2nd edition of NSVFF at Jahangirabad Media Institute. Every year NSVFF Receives about 120 student films from all over the country and has collaboration with student film festivals of 10 countries like Russia, Iran, Czech, Poland, South Africa and USA.

In 2007 attended Asian Film Professional’s Training Programme-2007 at Seoul, South Korea. Was one of the three trainees who got free scholarship from Korean Film Council under Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Korea to attend the Training Programme. Got intense training in film studies focused on Asian film industries.

In 2007 joined Vigyan Prasar as Project Officer (Edusat) - In charge of Audio and Video productions and Edusat project.

In 2010 rejoined Jahangirabad Media Institute as Deputy Director. During the tenure trained students to produce documentaries on socially relevant issues. More than 15 media workshops were conducted for Grass root activists and organisations.

Presently working as Creative Producer at E-learning Research Lab at Amrita University, Kollam.

My favorite movies are…..

Z (Greek, Dir: Costa Gavras)

81/2 (Italian, Dir: Fellini)

Wild Strawberries (Swedish, Dir: Bergman)

Ballad of a Soldier (Russian, Dir: Chukhrai)

Missing (Spanish, Dir: Costa Gavras)

Battleship Potemkin (Russian, Dir: Eisenstein)

Strike (Russian, Dir: Eisenstein)

Modern Times (Silent, Dir: Charlie Chaplin)

The Great Dictator (English, Dir: Charlie Chaplin)

Dr. Strangelove (English, Dir: Stanley Kubrick)

Bicycle thieves (Italian, Dir: Vittorio De Sica)

The Cranes are Flying (Russian, Kalatozov)

La strada (Italian, Fellini)

A short film about killing (Polish, Dir: Kieslowski)

Three Colors: Blue (Polish, Dir: Kieslowski)

The promised land (Polish, Dir: Andrzej Wajda)

Man of Iron (Polish, Dir: Andrzej Wajda)

Sopyonje (Korean, Dir: Im Kwon Taek)

Seven Samurai (Japanese, Dir: Kurosawa)

The Grave of Fireflies (Japanese, Dir: Isao Takahata)

The Tin Drum (German, Dir: Schlondorff)

Nausicaa of the Valley of Winds (Japanese, Dir: Miyazaki)

The Color of Paradise (Persian, Dir: Majid Majidi)

Children of Heaven (Persian, Dir: Majid Majidi)

Piravi (Malayalam, Dir: Shaji Karun)

Nostalgia (Russian, Dir: Tarkovsky)

Das Boot (German, Dir: Petersen)

The Bad Guy (Korean, Dir: Kim Ki Duk)

Old Boy (Korean, Dir: Park Chan Wook)

City of God (Portuguese, Dir: Fernando Meirelles)

Red cherry (Chinese, dir: Ye Daying)

The Road Home (Chinese, dir: Zhang Yimou)

Bloody Sunday (English, Dir: Paul Greengrass)

Rules of the game (French, Dir: Jean Renoir)

Aguirre – the wrath of god (German, Dir: Werner Herzog)

Run Lola Run (German, Dir: Tom Tykwer)

A single spark (Korean, Dir: Park Kwang-su)

The cave of the yellow dog (Mongolian, Dir: Byambasuren Davaa)

Central Station (Portuguese, Dir: Walter Salles)

Motorcycle Diaries (Spanish, Dir: Walter Salles)

Pather Panchali (Bengali, Dir: Satyajit Ray)

The man without a past (Finnish, Dir: Kaurismaki)

Good bye Lenin (German, Dir: Becker)

No Man’s Land (Bosnian, Dir: Danis Tanovic)

Land and Freedom (Spanish, Dir: Ken Loach)

State of Siege (French, Dir: Costa Gavras)

Apocalypse Now (English, Dir: Coppola)

Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets (Moroccan, Dir: Nabil Ayouch)

Life is beautiful (Italian, Dir: Roberto Benigni)

Dry white season (English, Dir: Palcy)

Ran (Japanese, Dir: Kurosawa)

Pelle the Conqueror (Danish, Dir: Bille August)

Irreversible (French, Dir: Gaspar Noe)

Waltz with Bashir (Hebrew, Dir: Ari Folman)

The wind that shakes the barley (English, Dir: Ken Loach)

Citizen Kane (English, Dir: Orson Welles)

L’avventura (Italian, Dir: Antonioni)

Cinema Paradiso (Italian, Dir: Tornatore)

Hiroshima mon amour (French, Dir: Alain Resnais)

2001 A Space Odyssey (English, Dir: Stanley Kubrick)

Wages of fear (French, Dir: Clouzot)

Forrest Gump (English, Dir: Zemeckis)

Memories of underdevelopment (Spanish, Dir: Gutierrez Alea)

Train of Life (French, Dir: Mihaileanu)

Underground (Serbian, Dir: Kusturica)

Diary for my mother and father (Hungarian, Dir: Marta Meszaros)

Blood and Bones (Japanese, Dir: Sai Yoichi)

Shower (Chinese, Dir: Zhang Yang)

Still Life (Chinese, Dir: Jia Zhang Ke)

Getting Home (Chinese, Dir: Zhang Yang)

Memories of Murder (Korean, Dir: Joon-ho Bong)

Save the green planet (Korean, Jang Jun-hwan)

My Heart (Korean, Dir: Bae Chang-ho)

Oridathu (Malayalam, Dir: Aravindhan)

Do Bigha Zamin (Hindi, Dir: Bimal Roy)

Danny (Malayalam, Dir: T.V Chandran)

Mua oi-The Guava House (Vietnamese, Dir: Nhat Minh Dang)

Poetry (Korean, Lee Chang Dong)

The Ghost Writer (English, Roman Polanski)

Work Profile

1. There After (10 minute short fiction film on communalism) 2. 'Puzh Muthal Nakshatram Vare'(From River to Stars), an environmental documentary series telecasted by Jeevan TV

3. Morning show programme 'Pularkalam'(Morning), telecasted by Jeevan TV

4. 'Uttaram'(The Answer), a development documentary series, telecasted by Kairali TV

5. “Uzhartheyunelpinte Nalvazhikal”(The days of rebirth) 22 minute documentary on tribal welfare programme produced by Tribal welfare Department, Govt. of Kerala

6. 22 episodes of 'Sastrakauthukam'(Curiosity in Science), a popular science series in Malayalam language telecasted by DD (Malayalam)

7. “Him Ganga Ham”, 30 minute documentary on Global Warming and Ganges River produced by Green Peace India

8. “Maulvi Ahamadullah”, 30 minute documentary on freedom fighter Ahamadullah produced by NYKS, Dept of sports and youth affairs, Govt. f India

9. “Rana Beni Madhav” 30 minute documentary on freedom fighter Rana Beni Madhav produced by NYKS, Dept of sports and youth affairs, Govt. f India

10. “Children of Kashmir” 10 minute documentary on earthquake affected schools in Kashmir.

11. “25 years of IMRC” promotional film on IMRC, USA

12. “Dreams comes true” promotional film on Jahangirabad Media Institute

13. “Bhagat Singh” 30 minute documentary on legendary martyr Bhagat Singh

14. "Samvidhan", 15 minute documentary on violations of constitutional rights by fundamentalists and state

Monday, February 11, 2008