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A festival of six biographical films in the Capital begins on Thursday
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The biographical films, or biopics, genre became popular in the early 20th century, but we have only recently become equally interested in movies about real-life whistleblowers, cult film-makers and comics as well as musical geniuses and historical figures, says Kumar Unnayan, who will be speaking at the three-day festival, Biopics: A Cine Experience, being organized by Cinedarbaar and The American Center in the Capital from 24-26 July.
“If you look at the initial years of Western biographical cinema, landmark films like The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (1928), Napoléon (1927), The Lion In Winter (1968) were often dealing with the lives and times of some of the most publically recognized figures. Movies have been churned out in the name of Lincoln, Christ, Hitler, Cleopatra, Elizabeth, King Henry…for a long time. With the shift in period, the subject matter too has transformed—we are being exposed to the stories of the so-called commoner as he scales up the social ladder. Jobs, Mandela, 12 Years A Slave, Catch Me If You Can, Erin Brockovich, are all a part of evolution of this genre in the past two decades while movies like Lincoln (2012), Frida (2002), The Iron Lady (2011) are also shaping the moment simultaneously…. While Gandhi (1982) was a remarkable film, movies like Paan Singh Tomar (2012) are appealing to the masses at a major scale in today’s time," explains Unnayan.
The non-profit cultural organization Cinedarbaar has been organizing film festivals in New Delhi since it started operations in 2009. It has focused previously on themes such as Hollywood musicals, leading ladies in the movies and female directors, and done retrospectives on film-makers like Alfred Hitchcock and Wes Anderson. In this festival, the focus is on presenting six films in the biographical genre that represent a range of styles and subjects.
Ed Wood (1994) by director Tim Burton (and starring—obviously—Johnny Depp) is about the cult American film-maker, Edward Davis Wood Jr, who cut corners but managed to stay in the movie business despite the odds. The Russell Crowe and Al Pacino starrer, The Insider (1999), is about Jeffrey Wigand, who blew the whistle on “Big Tobacco" in the US in a 1990s trial—till then cigarette companies had been denying direct knowledge of the fact that their products were addictive and could cause lung cancer. The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013) is about the life and times of the stockbroker Jordan Belfort, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, who has also been the face of other successful biopics, including Catch Me If You Can (2002) and The Aviator (2004). The other films that will be screened during the festival are I’m Not There (2007), in which six actors play the part of musical star Bob Dylan; Lenny (1974), about the 1960s satirist Lenny Bruce, who was arrested multiple times for his acerbic, no-holds-barred, stand-up act; and Auto Focus (2002), about American actor Bob Crane.
In addition to the screenings, the festival will host talks by Unnayan and independent film-maker and research scholar Anugyan Nag, and contests based on the films.
Cinedarbaar artistic director and president Supriya Suri explains that the festival line-up was specifically geared to present the range of cinematic “language" that has been used by some of the best directors in the business—like Martin Scorsese and Burton—in this genre. “Language is of the foremost importance for cinema, wherein also lies the touch of the auteur. While selecting the line-up for the festival, our effort was to maintain a balance of a classic biopic piece," she says.
Biopics: A Cine Experience will be held from 24-26 July at The American Center, 24, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi (23472000). Timings vary. Carry a photo ID. For invites and the full schedule, visit www.facebook.com/events/304806206357840
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