Date: 7 August 2015
Time: 12 – 1:30 pm
Venue: Room 217, Block 1

What’s in a Film?
Students begin to open their eyes to what cinema truly is
The Literati presented its second film screening on Friday, 7 August 2015 at 12 pm in I PCM, Block 1. Around 25 students were left with a feel-good warmth after attending the screening of a movie called “Where is the Friend’s Home?”,one of the earlier works of Iranian film director, Abbas Kiarostami, which was inspired by a poem by Sohrab Sepehri, followed then by a Question and Answer session.

Being one of his most celebrated works, with the British Film Institute including the same as part of its top 50 movies to be watched before turning 14, it explores the metaphors of loyalty and civil duty, through a rather simple tale of a schoolboy wanting to return his friend’s notebook, failing which the latter would be subject to penalisation in school.

With the Q&A session moderated by Mr. Prashant from II MA English with Communication Studies, the audience was challenged to ‘read a film’ like any other book, looking beyond the regular parameters, students generally set themselves, when it comes to cinema, like the story or the actors’ performance. 

The film screening session on Friday gave insight to the students that films are primarily a visual medium of communication, highlighting the significance of cinematography and editing as a means to convey an idea and bring about emotions from the audience. 

The audience gained a new found respect for Abbas Kiarostami’s simple style of cinema that transcends barriers while not being gimmicky or pretentious.