Virtual Cinema Club | 26
In Conversation with Avinash Arun
Cinema and the moving image is central to our lives even more today than ever before. It touches our lives intimately and profoundly. It can shape our ideas, thoughts, and values. It also has the power to change our ways of looking and thinking.
This is the language of cinema and we are here to talk about it. How the various elements, the images, the sound, the narrative, and the performance, all come together to bring life to the words, characters, and places. As we look closely, what threads do we begin to see across a director’s work: similar themes, a signature style, or perhaps the evolution of an idea. Cinema has the ability to raise many powerful questions and we’re hoping to ask the right ones.
Format:
52 weeks | 52 directors | fortnightly discussions | sundays 11:00 IST
We will announce a new director and films at the end of each session. We have the whole week to watch these films. There’s no need to go anywhere, you can enjoy these films from the comfort of your room, sofa, or cell phone right from a streaming service.
As we turn to India, we will be exploring contemporary voices from within the rich cinematic landscape of the subcontinent.
This week’s director is Avinash Arun (India), and the films we’re watching are:
Killa (2014)
Masaan (2015)
Join us on Sunday at 11:00 IST on Youtube LIVE (@g5afoundation) , where Neeraj Jain and Ishan Benegal will discuss the week’s films online. We’d love to have you join the conversation whether you’re able to see the films or not.
New films will be announced after the session on Sundays, so stay tuned!
About:
Neeraj Jain is a first generation, Indian-American cinematographer based in New York City. In high school, Neeraj took a plunge and started shooting various short documentaries. In 2015, Neeraj graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a B.F.A in Film and TV production. In his final year, Neeraj shot many short films for various directors and in 2017 was awarded the Faculty Commendation in Cinematography at NYU.
Aside from working as a cinematographer, Neeraj spent as much time as he could to learn from the masters. In 2016, he attended the ASC Masterclass and was able to learn from one of his favourite working cinematographers – Rodrigo Prieto. He has also spent time working in the lighting teams of various TV shows like Master of None and Girls.
Recently, Neeraj shot the feature film, The Sound of the Wind. He hopes his narrative work will allow him to tell stories from various corners of the world.
Ishan Benegal
With a background in English Literature and Mathematics, Ishan Benegal’s creative practice takes the form of writing, photography, and food. While music, cinema, football, and reading remain firmly in orbit.
As the Associate Artistic Director at the G5A Foundation for Contemporary Culture he’s at the helm of G5A’s creative strategy, where his background and practice help inform and drive the curatorial process. He is also the brains behind PORT Kitchen & Bar, an all day cafe and bar housed within G5A that is a space for new conversations and new connections fuelled by home-style food, coffee, and cocktails.