Tag Archives: Documentary

Collective (2019) Documentary Review: Deeply impactful, highly relevant

‘Fuck all your wicked corruption
It’s been there since our inception, but we couldn’t see
All the times we’ve felt so hollow
As our hopes were hanged in gallows
All this time we’ve been locked away
And there was nothing left to say
Until today’

Goodbye to Gravity – a heavy metal band – performs this song at a concert in what seems like a clip recorded on a phone. Given the genre, the song is more a roaring cry. Fittingly, the end of the high octane performance is met with a fireworks display. As the vocalist is acknowledging the applause, he notices that a spark from the firework has lit the sound proof ceiling of the nightclub named Colectiv that they are performing in. “That’s not part of our performance”, he quips. Wit then gives way to fear as he asks if there is a fire extinguisher around. He receives no response. Flames start erupting from the ceiling. Chaos and cries of fear engulf the arena. The handheld device shakes violently, screams and wails can be heard, silhouettes are barely discernable in the blaze of the fire. And then suddenly the screen goes blank.

The name of the song performed – The Day We Die.

Continue reading “Collective (2019) Documentary Review: Deeply impactful, highly relevant”

Abhay Kumar’s Placebo

Not every storyteller is ambitious, but Abhay Kumar certainly is and if you watch Placebo you might realise it. If you have been following MAMI over the years you would perhaps know that Abhay and his shorts have been a regular feature of the festival. I have been wanting to watch Placebo, for a long long time. Finally I watched it last week, it has been more than a week since I watched it but the film still keeps playing in my head. Like his short film Udaan this is not an easy watch, it disturbs you.

The best thing about Placebo is that it is not interested in a linear narrative. Even though the screen mentions the day, after some time I was overlooking it as it wants and makes you feel a gamut of emotions.Continue reading “Abhay Kumar’s Placebo”

JIO MAMI FILM CLUB WITH STAR premiered Google’s INDIA IN A DAY

The screening was attending by Director Richie Mehta and Executive Producer of the film, Anurag Kashyap

Jio MAMI Film Club with Star yesterday, September 20, premiered Google’s ‘India in a Day’ at PVR Icon, Versova. Directed by critically acclaimed director, Richie Mehta and executive produced by Anurag Kashyap and Ridley Scott, the film received an overwhelming response from the audience. The premiere was attended by renowned personalities like Anurag Kashyap, Kiran Rao, Neeraj Ghaywan, Nagesh Kukunoor, Javed Jaffrey, producer of the film, Cassandra Sigsgaard and the members of MAMI Film Club. The premiere was also attended by guests from various parts of India whose footage had been selected for ‘India in a Day’.Continue reading “JIO MAMI FILM CLUB WITH STAR premiered Google’s INDIA IN A DAY”

India In a Day, India’s Film Set to Release

First ever large scale collaborative film in the country

  • Directed by Richie Mehta and executive produced by Ridley Scott and Anurag Kashyap
  • Partnership with Google enabled submission of over 16,000 video stories from Indians across the country

Continue reading “India In a Day, India’s Film Set to Release”

Guns and Guitars-A Musical Travelogue: First Look

Newark Film Festival 2016Bidyut Kotoky‘s Guns and Guitars-A Musical Travelogue,a documentary on the music scene (against the backdrop of violence) in North-East India is now finally ready and about to start it’s festival round. The film has just been officially selected as part of this year’s Newark International Film Festival (http://www.newarkiff.com/).

For more about the film, you can read Bidyut’s posts on MAM here.

Here’s the first look promo of the film-

Rolling Papers Documentary Movie Review: The Pot Journalism

Rolling Papers the documentary film by Mitch Dickman follows the team of The Cannabist, for a year.  In 2014, state of Colorado in the U.S legalized Marijuana, The Denver Post created a new beat for Marijuana. Ricardo Bacca is appointed the new editor, who goes on to create the website The Cannabist.

Ricardo then hires two pot critics, it is interesting how one of the critics is a mom with a two year old kid. The film explores her insecurity of how despite the legalization of Marijuana, the attitude of law enforcement agencies has not changed. It is interesting to see how a society will accept an alcoholic mother, but not a woman who smokes pot.Continue reading “Rolling Papers Documentary Movie Review: The Pot Journalism”

Tete-a-tete with the team of “Amdavad Ma Famous” – Winner of 63rd National Awards

Amdavad Ma Famous is a documentary that explores the madness of kite-flying festival in old Ahmedabad through the eyes of a 11 year old kid Zaid. In a candid chat with Madaboutmoviez, director Hardik Mehta (Script Supervisor for Lootera & Queen) and DOP Piyush Puty (DOP/ co-director for the Making of Lootera) took us through the trials and tribulations of making this film which has won the best non-feature film award at the recently concluded National Film Awards.Continue reading “Tete-a-tete with the team of “Amdavad Ma Famous” – Winner of 63rd National Awards”

The Salt of the Earth Trailer

The Brazilian-French documentary The Salf Of The Earth follows the Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado and his quest to get the best images from the world. The Salt of The Earth was nominated for the Best Documentary at the 87th Academy Awards and is considered to be one of the best movies from 2014 given the number of prizes it has won.

Continue reading “The Salt of the Earth Trailer”

Seymour: An Introduction Trailer

Seymour: An Introduction Ethan Hawke (Before trilogy, Boyhood) profiles the classical piano player and teacher Seymour Bernstein in this Sundance selected documentary: Seymour: An Introduction. Considered to be an inspiring teacher beloved by many, who left his career to become a techer, Ethan Hawke chronicles stories from his life with insight and affection.

The film premiered on 30th August, 2014 at Telluride.
Continue reading “Seymour: An Introduction Trailer”