Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Quick docs

Before most of us started writing 55 word stories and micro fiction, she was writing her sometimes funny, sometimes sad and sometimes just plain quirky quick tales. She's also been making short documentaries for some time now (I've been lucky to work with her on a short film commissioned by BBH) and uploading them on to Channel 4's Fourdoc's page. From Plants, shoots and leaves to the very touching Remembering Mother Ammani's films are effective. There's no jazzy unnecessary camera tricks - just simple story telling. Her latest film, The Bookseller, is FourDocs' Film of the Week and the protagonist is a figure familiar to many of us. Ammani is also listed in the Filmmakers of the Week section and gets mention in the Fourdocs Blog.Knowing Ammani as well as I do, she's the last person to write about herself and her achievements, so I thought I would so on her behalf! Do check out her docs and the other films on the site. They are all well worth your time.

7 comments:

Shammi said...

Shoefie, what an excellent idea! Three cheers for you AND Ammani! :)

ammani said...

So touched, Shoefie. It takes one with a big heart to say such wonderful (and often undeserved) good things about me. Thanks ever so much!

Anonymous said...

sic sic sic

Anonymous said...

yay!! congrats ammani and great one shofie!!

Miss Frangipani said...

Thanks for posting the link, Shoefie. This reminded me of the booksellers on Mumbai's pavements and how I can spend hours looking through. Pity they have to end up on dusty streets with a plastic covering for shelter.

I felt sad for the old man in the film when he talked about how he never went home because he had to guard the books. In England, I've come across several 'honesty' bookshops where books are left without a watchman to guard them and people pay for what they take. Why is it so hard to implement elsewhere?

Miss Frangipani said...

And yes, congratulations, Ammani :)

Neha said...

that was beautiful, both the post and the film!