i am kalam is a 2011 indian hindi drama film produced by smile foundation and directed by nila madhab panda .

the character of chhotu has been performed by harsh mayar .

it has been showcased in various film festivals and has received many awards and honours .

the film was screened retrospective on august 17th 2016 at the independence day film festival jointly presented by the indian directorate of film festivals and ministry of defense , commemorating 70th indian independence day .

the film was released to universal critical acclaim , and is widely regarded as one of the best movies of the past decade .

i am kalam

i am 16 years old and i am preparing for the jee 2017 . what movies should i watch at the time i am sparing for my entertainment ?
. . . try not to miss the beautiful i am kalam . . .
suryadeep _ ag :
i am kalam
. . . . must watch
rjmanoj : i am kalam . . . amazing film please go and watch it
manishroy : just watched ' i am kalam ' . . . got overwhelmed !
chandrangshum : just saw d film i am kalam . . . nice 1 .
_ outlier : ' i am kalam ' is such a brilliant , cute film .
vinaykumar346 : i am kalam watch it guys . . . . . . . .
singh _ dr : also , i am kalam was beautiful : ) go watch .
free international music day schools screening of i am kalam , mac birmingha . . .
director of ' i am kalam ' wishes to make a biopic film o . . .
watelseshldido : # justwatched i am kalam . awesome experience . ! ! amazing film ! !
sonicanowal : nw wtchin
i am kalam
. . . gr8 movie ! ! !
ninadkarpe : saw movie
i am kalam
over the weekend . simple , wonderful !
latikamoehta : i am kalam is an honest & sweet film . watch it ! # kalamrocks
discofighter1 : i am kalam . a movie everyone should check out and not underestimate ! urltoken
manishchodhary : singham + znmd + ready + dabang + delhi belly = i am kalam , watchd today . . fantastic movie
i have seen 800 movies and i am 21 years old . is that a good record ?
bobspop : i am kalam has been made with a very noble thought . superb thaught worth applauding
free international music day schools screening of i am kalam , rio cinema , l . . .
raise _ india : i am kalam is an inspiring film that needs to be encouraged . reccomended !
dhruvis : i am kalam is a very sweet film . watch it if you can . : )
deviant5 : watched a movie called
i am kalam
with yp . loved it : - )
chonmore : every parent should watch the movie ' i am kalam ' with their children . . .
chhotu inspired by the life of dr . a . p . j . abdul kalam - i am kalam , scene 5 / 16
saumil _ j :
i am kalam
; it says many things but in most simple way .
nmahalle :
i am kalam
- # inspirational & heartwarming . a must watch # hindi # movie
what are some motivational movies ? i am recently 95 % physically challenged at 27 years old , so i am going through a very hard situation .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing i am kalam near you .
. . . for a film shot on a shoestring budget , i am kalam looks polished . . . .
what are some motivational movies ? i am recently 95 % physically challenged at 27 years old , so i am going through a very hard situation . - quora
akshayanant : try , if possible , to watch the movie
i am kalam
. . . even big b has tweeted much about it some days before . . .
i am kalam
releases 2mrw . . .
sid _ breathacker :
i am kalam
. . . a must watch . . < 3d it : )
education is the theme of the film i am kalam and the journey young kalam takes is truly inspiring . the critics are raving about this simple story .
krishdk : i am kalam : a sweet film with a good heart . the kid is adorable . @ pitobash congratulations !
ashokkw : i am kalam - must watch movie . . . harsh mayar has done justice to the role . . .
appy _ apps : watched
i am kalam
. . . lovely movie . . . . true emotions ! !
claramusician : the best thing of having an open heart is the fascinating things you can find around ! i recommend this hindi movie :
i am kalam
.
i ' d like to thank kalam saab . nila madhav panda , my director and the entire team of i am kalam . i ' d like to thank my daughter and my wife .
- sanjay chauhan on winning the award .
aniguha : ' i am kalam ' is such a cute , heartwarming film , you wish more and more people watch it .
harsh mayar : i’m still known as junior kalam , which is . . .
risingmarz : indian cinema at it ' s best . . . remarkable work . . i am kalam . . loved it ! !
ankash1009 : all of you film champions , go watch
i am kalam
. . great effort by neel madhab panda . .
what : into film are pleased to present a screening of i am kalam as part of a celebratory international music day screenings programme .
i’m going with three - and - a - half out of five for i am kalam . it’s a charming little film that’ll leave you wiser and happier . don’t miss it .
smartmanas : watched . . . i am kalam . . . fantastic movie . . . hats off to nila madhab panda > > >
harshal168 : bdw loved i am kalam . . a must watch ! ! @ sanketfms u should watch this one . . loved it !
advantej1 : ' i am kalam ' is a charming , heartwarming tale . you ' ll be glad you didn ' t miss this !
riflemati :
i am kalam
another awesome and inspirational movie in recent times after chillar party . . . a ( cont ) urltoken
ipaatil : ' i am kalam ' leaves you uplifted and positive . don ' t miss it . | my review - @ aniguha @ relianceent
_ gags : saw
i am kalam
now . . . a well made movie . . . . there is no destiny everything is karma
himanshukjain : i am kalam . just overwhelmed with the poignant innocence of this gem of movie . touches deepest core of the heart . 5 / 5
elitistcaveman : could not stand ' i am kalam ' . why do we feel the need to portray this romanticized version of india to charm foreigners ?
ankitkchaudhary : ' i am kalam ' beautiful movie . . . ' mutthi me kuchh ho na ho , in ankhon me he sapana ' , aftr long time , beautiful . i mean it !
. . . in the end , what contributes to i am kalam immensely is its metaphor of kalam , the scientist with an almost magical ability to bind people , especially children . . . .
soon after he got noticed for his natural talent and got selected to play the lead role in i am kalam . not just that , he even met kalam and complimented him on his hairstyle .
nroopbhavsar : just watched
i am kalam
. beautiful . indian cinema at one of its best . @ mitulsuthar thank you for recommendation . ☺ urltoken
' i am kalam ' - that recieved much critical acclaim , is being considered to be a frontrunner and strong contender for india’s entry to the oscars .
i am kalam movie is based on the charecter chhotu who is a poor rajasthani boy , and got inspired by a . p . j . abdul kalam . the plot is about his strong . . .
. . . i am kalam draws its lifeblood primarily from the innate authenticity of its tangible characters and the sustained evenness of its pragmatic tone . . . .
vikasnowal : turned another usual weekend with an interesting experience to end it , saw “i am kalam” & impressed with the way it has come up . great effort
kaliom : watch ' i am kalam ' . . nothing more to say bout . . feel good movie . . lil iranian movie feel about it . .
arnabbj :
i am kalam
dont ignore this kind of movie , and when @ shreyaghoshal gives her voice in a movie , dont dare to miss it .
the film i am kalam is already going places and has won the best feature film award and the don quixote prize at the lucas international film festival in germany .
rajvaish : so . . i am kalam . . . is a little slow . . . yea . . but whatsoever lovely peaceful light n all of dat . !
barmecharajat : saw ' i am kalam ' . . . . excellent film . . . great performances . . . go , watch it guys : ) ) ) )
nila madhab panda’s i am kalam won the viewer’s choice award at the indian film festival of los angeles ( iffla ) . “i have never been praised so much for my acting by americans , indians , media , critics and my son sanjay grover , ” said an emotional gulshan grover , who also stars in the film . ‘i am kalam’ also had the honour of opening this year’s film festival .
with a child protagonist , i am kalam gives an important message particularly to the adult audience on how every child has a basic right for education and to live his dream .
saikatgochhait : i am kalam is a winner . . . every indian in spirit because it deals with a very indian problem - - of widespread illiteracy and poverty . . watch
pradnyayedavi : i am kalam . . . . . . awesome movie . . . . . . and luvd rajasthan . . wht a beautiful place to live in . .
faridoons : do try n catch ' i am kalam ' . its a film that touches a chord . a bit slow but u leave d cine hall with a smile .
bizzarebhide : i am kalam garnering excellent reviews . saw the movie months ago . . folks , do go watch it ; its small little gem that will touch your heart .
singhcd : # singhcdfilmreviews i am kalam - a little film wid a big heart . a gut warming film dat doesn ' t preaches but puts d msg across in a subtle way
amitjaju : just attended the premier of
i am kalam
. . . amazing film . . . highly recommend everybody to catch it this weekend . . . its beautiful .
child actor harsh mayar , who has won national award for i am kalam , was rejected by the makers of chillar party because he was a misfit for the relatively urbane film .
kind of late to write a review yet i couldn’t hold back myself writing about this , as i feel this is another movie which hasn’t got the recognition and fame it deserves . and i had to do my bit to change this . i honestly have no words on the impact the movie has left on me . i can only hope i do justice to the review . released in august 2011 , and i saw it in april 2012 , i am kalam totally swept me off my feet . a movie which i must say triggered me to think again and again about what i can do with my life . a very touching and sensible eye - opener by nila madhab panda .
chillar party may boast of biggies like co - producer salman khan and ranbir kapoor as an item boy backing it , but smile foundation’s film , i am kalam has none other than the former indian president dr apj kalam as its inspiration .
theboon4all : yaahhh its a superb movie rt @ beysharam : rt @ ankash1009 : all of you film champions , go watch
i am kalam
. great effort by neel madhab panda
rjdhvanit : i am kalam - 4 mirchis out of 5 . direct dil se ! not preachy kinds at all ! simple and brilliant narrative . nice . . . urltoken ; = 81800370833
i am glad when know that one world class film director & producer emerges from sonepur . and best wishes for his glories future .
and yet , the main story has a lot to say and i am kalam says it with love . its strength is in the subtlety with which it raises a question . what is chhotu thanking kalam for ? how would dr . kalam react if he actually met chhotu who labors at his tender age ?
deepsinside : ' i am kalam ' . . beautifully made ! well crafted . # harshmayar is a wonder kid : ) dont miss it : ) kudos to # smilefoundation . # iamkalam # educate
aaroo4 : if u don ' t watch delhi belly / znmd / veppam / etcetc its alright , but watch this movie . ☺ an absolute must watch -
i am kalam . .
dna also gave it 3 . 5 out of 5 stars , saying
at a little over 90 minutes , i am kalam is a gripping watch that leaves you feeling uplifted and positive .
himanshuvora : i am kalam is rocking ! pls go watch it ! don ' t miss in theatre . loved it . kudos nila madhab panda & team . thank you for this film ! # in
i am kalam - movie review : a sweet , simple movie which reminded me of raj kapoor ' s \
ab dilli door nahin \
but nothing exceptional . ( review by bobby sing )
do not miss watching “seabiscuit” . it’s highly recommended . one of the most inspirational movie that i have come across ( and just to say , i am in complete love with this genre , inspirational movies , and i have watched almost all of them referred by others ) .
bhubaneswar : i am kalam , an award - winning feature film about the struggle of a boy who is inspired by a . p . j . abdul kalam , is set to hit the screens globally by june - end , its director , nila madhaba panda , said .
i ' m speechless . i ' m very happy . everyone who comes to mumbai hopes he gets a good movie . i got that . a good producer , i got that . a good director , i got that . then you want the film to make a hit , it was a hit , then you want an award , i got that . i would like to thank nishikant kamat and a lot of other people , whom i will personally thank tonight .
- vidyut jamwal on winning the award .
the french embassy and alliance francaise have partnered with smile foundation to support the cause of sending every child to school . and smile foundation’s i am kalam was screened in alliance francaise as a mark of this support .
i am kalam released in india screens on 5 august 2011 . a special screening was held for dr . a . p . j . abdul kalam at his delhi residence on 29 july . [ 7 ] the film was acquired and distributed by ultra media & entertainment [ 8 ]
aditya _ grover : brief review of this week ' s releases i am kalam : a heart - warming script , put up beautifully on the celluloid . . . . urltoken ; = 7e98c0dbb1 & id ; = 101967029898190
harsh mayar , 13 , has won the national award as the best actor in the child artiste category for the film i am kalam . smile foundation which produced the film is sponsoring his education .
i want to be an actor and work with akshay kumar ,
he says .
ritika2611 : attempt # 2 : saturday . . 4 : 45pm . . ' i am kalam ' . . six people in the hall and what a beautiful film ! # nagpur , you ' r missing out on something !
some films are destined to be iconic . like taare zameen par , udaan , rang de basanti created a movement through cinema , i am kalam seems to be headed in that direction what with the endorsements from the highest quarters .
bollywood _ life : i am kalam review : the film is a winning proposition : the film more than makes up for its failings with sheer he . . . urltoken ; _ medium = twitter & utm ; _ campaign = bollywood
i am kalam initially registered average collections at the box office . however , it has recieved much word - of - mouth promotion in the last few weeks , and the cash registers have begun ringing more loudly for the filmmakers since then .
vikramaditya motwane’s udaan bagged the best narrative feature , sonali gulati’s i am won the best documentary feature and the best short honours went to rakesh chaudhary’s the eclipse of taregna .
director nila madhab panda , remembered for i am kalam , showcased his new feature film jalpari : the desert mermaid at marche du cannes ( cannes film market ) during the 65th cannes international film festivalthe film is said to have received a positive response .
promoting his latest movie ' i am kalam ' , gulshan grover made it pretty clear that passion was the most vital ingredient for any movie success . ' i am kalam ' is believed to be a prince and pauper story where the main protagonist , a small child from exceedingly deprived circumstances , finds inspiration to fight for his dreams from president abdul kalam . the movie has already bagged 12 awards . it won the audience choice award for the best feature film in iifla 2011 and the 58th national award for the lead actor - harsh mayar . and the list just kicks off there .
tags : bobby sing ' s hindi films reviews , new hindi films reviews by bobby sing at bobbytalkscinema . com , bollywood movies reviews at bobbytalkscinema . com , bobby sing bollywood reviews , new bollywood movies reviews , new bollywood movies released , new hindi films reviews , new hindi movies reviews , new hindi movies released , new bollywood reviews , bobby talks cinema review , reviews by bobby sing , new hindi films reviews at bobbytalkscinema . com , i am kalam movie review by bobby sing , i am kalam film review
i told myself that if i won today , i wouldn ' t cry , but i can ' t help myself . thank you the whole team of ladies vs ricky bahl , my family . this is my sixth award this season , and it ' s so motivating . i ' m going to work very hard . i ' ve grown up watching the filmfare awards and to hold one now is an out of the world experience .
- parineeti chopra on winning the award .
i feel strongly that you must publish a book with your observations . further more , i am sure salman khan can support and promote it best as he is very genuine person . . . . . . and what could be more genuine than your remarks ? regards vinay
cast and crew of the movie ' i am kalam ' reached the capital on wednesday ahead of the release of the film . elated with response the film has already earned abroad , actor gulshan grover said that the proceeds from the film will be utilized to spread education .
i use wiki 2 every day and almost forgot how the original wikipedia looks like .
i am kalam works as much for its intelligent script as it does for its convincing performances . pitobash tripathi is terrific as the envious laptan , and gulshan grover brings the right mix of humor and feeling to the part of bhati . husaan saad is a perfect fit as ‘poor little rich kid’ ranvijay , but the film of course belongs to chhotu . harsh mayar , who won a national award for his performance in i am kalam delivers a wholly believable , endearing performance as the boy who wants more from life . his smile alone will melt your heart .
press release on the demise of dr . a . p . j . abdul kalam
if someone were to take the most inspiring ideas from the books of apj abdul kalam and made a movie to show their application in contemporary india , it would be a lot like nila madhab panda ' s i am kalam , a hit at festivals around the world . the film was rated 4 . 40 on 5 by audiences at the transilvania international film festival recently .
i am kalam ' is an inspiring tale of a quick - witted boy ' s journey to make his impossible vision a reality ! ! ! ! “chotu is a young boy working at a dhaba ( indian roadside eatery ) , dreams of becoming educated one day and pursue his dream .
interestingly here in i am kalam too , the boy sets off to delhi to meet dr . kalam with a letter in his hand for the president . i don’t know whether the makers had this classic in mind or not but it does have these acute similarities in its sub plot with the original film . plus this particular part of the movie also remains its weakest one where everything keeps happening so easily around the key locations of delhi and the high security buildings .
i am kalam charmingly visualizes the life of a little boy who has to work to sustain himself and his family . its simplicity is works as both an advantage and a disadvantage . the easy - going narrative is a pleasant watch but too - good - to - be - true plot is distracting .
i am kalam is a beautiful film . it romanticizes friendships , loneliness , class divides , political borders , ambition and of course roadside dhaaba s and rajasthan too . if only , the story held a little stronger or had a little more depth than aspiring young boy struggles to get what he wants .
i am surprised to learn that a world famous film director emerged from western odisha . i convey my heartfull congratulations to sri panda and wish many more laurels for him . it is my desire to show this inspiring film to my 300 poor slum children some day , when it comes to my town - nabarangpur .
the film is set to release in june - end worldwide ,
panda who is a native of orissa ' s subarnapur district told . i am kalam has been screened at film festivals worldwide and has won 11 international awards , including the top one at the indian film festival in los angeles ( iffla ) .
he has just 2 weeks left & i need rs . 5 . 5 lakh to save him .
another model makes her debut in the film industryreyhna malhotra , a srinagar - based model , will make her debut in nila madabh panda’s babloo happy hai . nila madabh is the critically acclaimed director of films like i am kalam and jalpari . reyhna is foraying into films after a successful stint in the fashion world . she has walked
i am kalam had its world premiere at the marche du section of the cannes film festival this year . having produced and directed over 65 documentaries , shorts and films across the globe , panda is a promise among india’s emerging generation of young filmmakers . his contemporary storytelling methods offer a skillful and visually striking edge to social themes .
. . . . .
believe me , being there is a different divine experience completely where rats keep moving on your feet as they know you from ages . . . .
every time i see this temple ( on screen of course ) i have goose bumps . . . i find it very surprising ( in a good way of course ! ) that we may enjoy the feeling being there . . . i don ' t think i will be able to support this . . . . bonne continuation
apj abdul kalam with prime minister indira gandhi . ( photo courtesy : www . officialkalam . com )
mr . shashi shankar ( idea cellular ) and mahie gill to carlos catalan . “i ' m very nervous . i ' d like to thank my producers , zoya : she ' s great fun to work with . i ' d like to thank my indian and spanish crew” - carlos catalan on winning the award
inspirational and humorous in equal measure , i am kalam is the heartwarming story of a poor boy who aspires to learn ; a young dreamer determined to rise above his humble roots and carve his own destiny . directed sensitively by debutant nila madhab panda , the film avoids melodrama while delivering an important message about children and the importance of education .
while me . i am mariah…the elusive chanteuse may not seem very promising , any mimi fan will tell you the 44 - year - old songstress hasn’t lost her charm . give it a listen if you are an old - school pop fan .
“the ‘dream - thought - action ' philosophy is what i would like inculcated in each and every student . ”
with its world cinema style , i am kalam , has arrested the interest of the general audience , media and the film fraternity alike . the film is a proof that independent cinema in india , that is created with artistic content and reflecting the spirit of india in an entertaining way , has great potential of connecting with the world audience across all age groups .
my sister was partially blind when she was born . doctors have said that her eyesight will weaken with every passing day and one day she might not be able to see anything . sometimes i feel it is good to not be able to see things . my sister doesn’t know that we have lost our mother six months ago . my sister doesn’t know that sometimes our father doesn’t have dinner to save food for us . when she cries for mother , we feel terrible . when my father feeds her quietly , i keep saying her that it’s her mother who is feeding her . i have promised her that i will be her eyes forever . she is my hope and i am her light . ”
now please don’t imagine that i am ignoring body and prefering mind to be kept controlled . it is important to maintain a balance but sometimea you can lack something that can take years or centuries to grow ao better prefer what is possible and more beneficial .
already riding on strong promise , the film , produced by smile foundation , has managed to bag the best feature film award and the don quixote prize of the international cine club federation at the lucas film festival , frankfurt germany . “i come from one of india’s poorest regions , a remote village in orissa’s sonepur district . i know about daily struggle . but i also know what aspiration is . it’s a story of struggle that i have faced in my childhood , ” says panda . “i’m an eternal positivist . there is so much of negativity today , be it climate change or corruption . but i look at the spirit that instills fighting instincts against overwhelming odds , ” he adds .
smile foundation’s i am kalam is an award winning movie , which has received many honors and appreciated reviews both in abroad as well as in india . no doubt the subject of the film remains one of the favourites of the award giving authorities which happens to be child labour , child education and class divide in india , exploiting the colorful key features of rajasthan and its people .
it is a wonder how life’s seemingly mundane experiences spur profound milestones in the journey to self - discovery . filmmaker nila madhab panda would certainly have a lot to say on that . the 37 - year - old’s i am kalam is well on its way for an exclusive screening at the world’s biggest children festival — the national school film week , london — on october 14 .
. . . debutant director nila madhab panda ' s i am kalam is unusual for one reason alone . it allows a child from a remote corner of the country to idolise , not amitabh bachchan ( like his older co - worker played by pitobash does ) , or sachin tendulkar or shah rukh khan , but india ' s former president apj abdul kalam , a man while being hugely inspirational ( particularly for children ) , isn ' t the likeliest candidate for the job . . . .
chhotu ' s dream is to go to school . he ' s clever and everyone knows it , but he has to work in a roadside restaurant to support his family instead . a chance meeting with a prince who admires his camel handling skills inspires chhotu to challenge his own destiny . set in rajasthan , i am kalam is funny , moving and has a fantastic soundtrack too !
jalpari was screened at the 65th cannes film festival and is in competition at the asia pacific screen awardsi am kalam director nila madhab panda’s second film jalpari – the desert mermaid is in competition at the sixth edition of the prestigious asia pacific screen awards ( apsa ) .
the film also scores heavily due to its life - like performances . the two young boys are excellent - - completely boyish and child - like , ensuring that harsh mayar did not get the national award in vain . equally impressive is gulshan grover in his most understated performance till date . a film that may not storm the box office , i am kalam will definitely stir your sensibilities .
a poor boy derives inspiration from the former president of india , a . p . j . abdul kalam . he then decides to change his name to kalam and harbours a dream of meeting the visionary . ( harsh mayar ) .
a hovercraft program piloted by apj abdul kalam at bangalore’s aeronautical development establishment ( ade ) was discontinued despite its success .
synopsis : chhotu ' s dream is to go to school . he ' s clever and everyone knows it , but he has to work in a roadside restaurant to support his family instead . a chance meeting with a prince who admires his camel handling skills inspires chhotu to challenge his own destiny . set in rajasthan , i am kalam is funny , moving and has a fantastic soundtrack too !
even after receiving rave reviews for the film in cannes in 2010 , this film struggled to get a release in india . i am kalam is all about dreaming high and making something meaningful out of one’s life . the importance of education is also highlighted time and again in this film . director debutant nila madhab panda avoids clichés , melodramas or heart wrenching dialogues . the simplicity makes this film successful .
it ' s inspirational , intelligent , topical and entertaining too . more importantly , it brims over with heart and soul , leaving no one untouched with its simple message of providing an equal opportunity - - specially the right to education - - to every child in the world . yes , i am kalam finally articulates a near - perfect children ' s film , with an equal appeal for adults too .
after a very successful nationwide theatrical release , i am kalam is now ready to set off for its primary objective – sensitization of the privileged masses about the plight of the needy , and sensitization of the underprivileged masses about their own rights . as one of the first steps towards this objective , smile foundation is trying to partner with organizations and alliances to try and reach out to maximum number of people .
no i didn’t spell it wrong . want to know why happiness is spelled with an “y” . go watch the movie then .
i will prefer you to watch inception at least once and try to understand how can a single idea totally change your life .
movies as a movie buff i ' ll suggest are “pursuit of happyness” , “collateral beauty” and “the secret life of walter mitty” .
‘i am kalam’ has also been selected as a nomination at the prestigious national school film week and bfi london film festival and in 5 other honorable festivals for global cinema for the year – in the children’s feature film category at the asia - pacific screen awards , oulu international children’s and youth film festival ( finland ) , cinekid international film festival ( amsterdam ) , new york children’s film festival and london children’s film festival .
is mainly the tale of young chhotu who has given himself an alias - kalam - after the former president of india . dr . a . p . j abdul kalam is this little boy ' s inspiration . this little boy who works at a roadside
thank you so much . it ' s really special tonight over here . i want to thank my parents back home in himachal . i want to thank rahman saab for creating such awesome songs for rockstar . i want to thank imtiaz for his vision of jordan , ranbir kapoor , irshad for writing such wonderful lyrics . . . thank you .
- mohit chauhan on winning the award
i am kalam is a 2011 hindi film directed by nila madhab panda . the plot revolves around chhotu , a poor rajasthani boy , who is inspired by the life of the former president of india , a . p . j . abdul kalam and his strong desire to learn . the character of chhotu has been performed by harsh mayar , a delhi slum boy . the film was screened in the market section at the 63rd cannes film festival on 12 may 2010 . it has been showcased in various film festivals and has received many awards and honors .
and yes , i should have a page that describes how this rating is arrived at . will get on it soon . thanks .
i ' m giving you some suggestions some of the movie in the list will not the motivational but all of them are masterpiece .
apj abdul kalam , former president of india , dies at 83 apj abdul kalam - - former president of india , eminent scientist and a role model for the country ' s youth - - died monday at the age of 83 . kalam , who served as the country ' s president from 2002 until 2007 , was fondly known as the
missile man ,
for his role in developing the country ' s defense and nuclear technologies , international business times reports . kalam collapsed while addressing students at the indian institute of management in shillong , capital of the northeastern state of meghalaya . according to local reports , kalam suffered a cardiac arrest and was declared dead after doctors failed to revive him . kalam ' s body will be flown to new delhi on tuesday for burial .
i ' ve grown up wanting a best actor award . this is my fourth award . every dream seems to be becoming a reality . it feels great . thank you imtiaz . i love you , sir . thank you for giving me hope and inspiration . thank you for giving me rockstar . and i ' ll see you at the movies .
- ranbir kapoor on winning the award .
i am kalam clearly takes a stand and tell us again and again that education is the basic thing and this should be provided to every child as it is the basic right of every individual . equal opportunities that come with education are also highlighted in this movie . director has told us through the underprivileged character who dreams the moon and the stars and makes it possible with sheer will that sky is the limit , if one has the will .
coming to the points which force me to declare its nothing exceptional , the first has to be the overall feel of the movie . as i see it , i am kalam keeps floating on the verge of a deep sea and never enters its deepness . the message of the film does not hit you hard about child education or abolishing the class system in the society . the film just touches all these subjects gently and simply moves on . so in the end you feel like that you have watched something pleasant made on this plot but nothing great which could move you from the inside .
india former president apj abdul kalam dies apj kalam , a former indian president , has died at a hospital after collapsing while delivering a lecture in northeastern india , al jazeera said . kalam died on monday night , according to b warjri , chief secretary of meghalaya state . he was 83 . local media said he had been delivering a lecture at the indian institute of management in shillong when he collapsed and suffered cardiac arrest . he was rushed to the bethany hospital where he passed on . the president from 2002 until 2007 , kalam was known as the father of the country ' s military missile programme . tributes immediately started to pour in for kalam , with politicians and celebrities praising him .
but the hovercraft program piqued the interest of the director of tata institute of fundamental research ( tifr ) who called kalam for an interview .
undated picture of a young kalam ( left ) with the father of india’s space program vikram sarabhai . ( photo courtesy : sudipta routh )
overall , it remains a simple and sweet movie made around a relevant subject which in turn forced me to go for ab dilli door nahin once again . but i wasn’t convinced looking at the list of awards it has won in various festivals and am still wondering why it is being given such a high rating by all .
the plot of ‘i am kalam’ revolves around the trials and tribulations that a small boy faces yearning for education . it summarizes a fairy tale treatment to the dreams of the protagonist , chhotu , and how he dares to achieve them in spite of all the odds . the central plot of the film is in sync with the recently enforced rte act and stands for thousands of such aspiring children of the country . the film is a directorial debut of nila madhab panda .
. . . the dream in chhotu’s eyes , who calls himself a reflection of dr . kalam , touches the right chords . . . .
social message : education is every child ' s right . there is abdul kalam in every child if we provide them equal opportunity as country .
but overall i found the film , too simple and sweet with an evenly paced narration and nothing exceptional . since , you must be reading so many great reviews of the film over the net , so it is essentially required that i must give my reasons of not considering the film that great .
‘i am kalam’ the feature film produced by smile foundation , has won the best feature film at the lucas film festival . the award was announced by the lucas jury in the award ceremony held on 10th september 2010 in germany . lucas is a 35 year old international children’s film festival that presents sophisticated and promising productions aimed at children 4 to 12 years of age . this is an independently selected competition programme that consists of artistically and thematically valuable films to make foreign cultures understandable for children .
hi bobby ji , just recently watched this movie while coming back from delhi to kolkata in a flight . . . . i simply loved & liked the movie for its simplicity . it somehow seemed to touch & let go . . . which @ times is effective in communcation . even inspirational & hard subject movies also have limited impact in shaping up human beings they just pinch you a bit . no revolution happened with rang de basanti or any such movies . anyways i am a die hard fan of dr . kalam personally the kalam persona for me is awesome . . . he is such a motivation to common man . in my opinion the gulshan grover ' s role is driven from real life . . . . relating it to real life how many such good dhaba owenrs would care for such issues even if they are kind hearted . i think it can be a good watch . . . again it is my very personal choice .
panda said , “the film is a story of struggle that i have faced and observed since my own childhood . the film celebrates the spirit of survival against overwhelming odds . ” panda’s father aditya prasad said : “i am proud that my son never studied in famous schools and colleges but has managed to achieve what many would be dreaming of . after completing his college studies , he asked me for rs 2 , 000 to go to delhi . and there he has carved a niche for himself . ”
forgive me please if my words are not acceptable to you . chances are high i may sound too determined to change but that is the only way .
india former president dies former indian president apj abdul kalam died at the age of 84 in india . he collapsed while delivering a lecture at the indian institute of management in shillong and was hospitalized , but his life could not be saved . kalam served as country ' s president from 2002 - 2007 .
apj kalam ( left ) seen wearing a colonel’s badges during the 1998 pokhran - ii nuclear test . ( photo : twitter / @ manaman _ chhina )
as journalist manaman chhina puts it , kalam went from wearing a colonel’s ribbons at the 1998 nuclear tests , to becoming the supreme commander of armed forces .
i am kalam is the story of a child and his struggles to pursue his dreams and to surpass the boundaries of reality . it is a story of redemption , of the need to provide education to the underclass and to equalize social inequities . inspired by former indian president , dr . apj abdul kalam , the film was conceptualized after the right to education act was enforced in india . set in bikaner , rajasthan , the film revolves around the struggles of the protagonist – chhotu , and is symbolic to the struggle of millions of such children in the country and how the civil society looks at the depravity but does not lift a finger to do anything about it .
i know it can be difficult fatiha , but the divine place does has some vibes which can be easily felt once you are in it really . his blessings
. . . anyone whose heart goes out to the urgent need for child literacy in the nation’s interior lands , should catch kalam jr asap . . . .
. . . as a movie , i thought it started off beautifully with the rajasthani folk music playing in the background which continued till the end . . . .
it was about two years ago that i made a visit to detroit in the state of michigan of the us as a host to my friend dilip nagarkar . .
zoya akhtra , farhan akhtar and ritesh sidhwani come to collect the award . “it ' s difficult to get a balance between the critics and box office . zoya managed that for us . i thank the entire team of znmd . thank you filmfare . thank you times of india . thank you eros .
- ritesh sidhwani
i want to thank my cast and crew . since this is the mother of all awards , i ' m going to dedicate it to mine .
- zoya akhtar , director – znmd
while the film sets abdul kalam as the role model , at the same time it never delves deep into his life history or goes to give him a documentary - length tribute . kalam’s reference is only used to the extent that it can serve as an apt motivation for chotu . the film merely mentions how kalam faced difficulties as a child yet went on to become the most important person in the country . also , the noble choice of the inspiration sets the film a class apart from other juvenile attempts like
note : this section simply lists the things that i did not like in this movie . this is not the overall impression about this movie . please read the full review here
i am kalam
the story of a child , his struggles to pursue his dreams and to surpass the boundaries of reality , is a celebration of the human spirit pitted against overwhelming odds . it ' s a story that might have belonged to any developing country . focusing on child labour , its exploitative structure and thoughtless individual - who aim at profiting at cheap labour . the indian system where love and oppression coexist , still continues today . in india people rise from the ashes to reach various pinnacle of achievement , a case particularly exemplified by the former president of india , dr . apaj abdul kalam . the child protagonist of the film , chotu , starts his life as a skivvy in a roadside food joint in a remote highway .
the french embassy and alliance francaise are smile foundation’s first partners in this objective . as a mark of the support the french embassy and alliance francaise are specially screening i am kalam in delhi and mumbai for allied associates . present for this screening were the two little heroes of the film – harsh mayar , who won the national award for his exemplary performance in the film , and husaan saad . along with the two child actors , also present for the screening was french actress beatrice ordeix who plays the role of lucie madame , one of the major characters in the film .
apj abdul kalam ( r ) was closely involved in india’s civilian space program and military missile efforts which earned him the monicker ‘rocket man’ . ( photo courtesy : sudipta routh )
“i want to thank imtiaz , and all the singers of rockstar , and everyone who has worked on the music along with me .
- ar rahman on winning the award .
chhotu is an intelligent boy who belongs to a poor family in india city named rajasthan . born into poverty , he is forced to find work at a roadside food stall under the somewhat kind owner , bhati . chhotu is quick to learn and impresses bhati with his abilities . his jealous workmate once burnt chhotu ' s books . near the food stall is a heritage hotel in the palace of an erstwhile royal family . chhottu strikes up friendship with the lonely prince of the royal family , but the prince is forbidden , by his father , from mixing with commoners . one day chhotu watches president dr . a . p . j . abdul kalam on television and it inspires him . chhotu changes his name to kalam and decides he wants to meet the president . he studies in his spare time and writes a speech for the prince for a contest . the speech wins first prize at the contest , but soon after palace guards search kalam ' s room and find the prince ' s clothes and books . kalam is labeled a thief but does not reveal the source of his clothes so as to protect the prince from his father . kalam hitches a ride to new delhi where he tries to meet the president . meanwhile , the prince tells his father that it was he who gave the clothes and books to kalam and that kalam wrote the speech which earned first prize . the nominal king realizes his mistake and sends the prince to find kalam in new delhi . kalam is found near india gate and is brought back home . the king tells him that he can study in the same school as the prince .
nice movie . husaan saad also delivers a very endearing performance . he was cast perfectly for his role in this movie . i think he will go a long way as an actor .
india former president dies former indian president apj abdul kalam died at the age of 84 in india . he collapsed while delivering a lecture at the indian institute of management in shillong . he was hospitalized at private hospital in the city . as informed by ria novosti , he passed away from cardiac arrest . kalam served as country ' s president from 2002 - 2007 .
dr kalam was among a handful of scientists who started working alongside vikram sarabhai at the indian space research organisation ( isro ) right from the beginning . from transporting rockets and satellites on bullock carts in the 1970s and 1980s to leading pokhran - ii , when india re - asserted itself as a nuclear state in 1998 , abdul kalam is rightfully called india’s ‘missile man’ .
needless to say , kalam was selected for the post of rocket engineer , as that meeting with vikram sarabhai across an interview table , proved to be a turning point in his career .
it was against this backdrop that kalam was chosen as the bjp’s presidential candidate . kalam was supposed to be a salve , so to speak , for india’s injured collective conscience . for muslims clamouring for justice , his nomination mattered very little – after all , the rise of one of their own to a ceremonial post could not possibly have diminished the sorrow and fear they experienced over gujarat .


flying : confessions of a free woman is a 2006 documentary film by jennifer fox .

in six one-hour episodes , fox travels from country to country with her camera recording numerous candid conversations , mostly with women .

its autobiographical dramatic narrative acts as a starting point to introduce reflections on various social and political issues of a modern female life , including marriage , reproductive rights , divorce , childbirth , sexual abuse , and female genital mutilation .

the film is notable for its conversational " pass the camera " filming technique and is an example of cinéma vérité .

flying : confessions of a free woman

jennifer fox , director / producer of flying : confessions of a free woman . photo : zohe films
please talk about how the idea for “flying : confessions of a free woman” came about and evolved .
filmmaker jennifer fox in a scene from “flying : confessions of a free woman . ” image courtesy of film forum .
the director jennifer fox , as she appears in her documentary flying : confessions of a free woman ,  after a positive pregnancy test .
“absolutely , ” ms . fox said with a smile . “or we could call it ‘confessions of an imprisoned woman trying to be free . ’ ”
2007–2009 : lecturer and ran master classes at universities , tv stations and festivals around the world combined with the screening and theatrical release of my film series , “flying : confessions of a free woman . ”
in g2 today , zoe williams speaks with us film - maker jennifer fox about her documentary series , flying : confessions of a free woman , a quest which took new yorker fox across the globe to learn about the lives of women , and herself in the process .
jennifer fox dvd package . receive signed editions of jennifer fox’s previous films : beirut : the last home movie , an american love story and flying : confessions of a free woman . your name will also appear on the donor wall and you will receive exclusive project updates and the email newsletter . ( 145 euro est . )
flying : confessions of a free woman , the new groundbreaking 2 part documentary film in which critically acclaimed filmmaker jennifer fox lays bare her own turbulent life to penetrate what it means to be a free woman today . she travels to over 17 countries to understand how diverse women define their lives , when there is no map . the film is a cross - cultural story about common experiences of modern female life . part delectable soap opera , sociopolitical inquiry , and narrative experiment , flying sweeps us up into an addictive international adventure chronicled with sincerity , innovation and elegance . urltoken
“flying : confessions of a free woman , ” a documentary made for television in six one - hour segments , will open as a two - part film starting wednesday at film forum in new york . the documentary is a delicate construction asking a delicate question : is there anything in common between ms . fox , a liberal , middle - class manhattanite , and , say , a prostitute in cambodia ?
for most people , one therapist is enough ; for jennifer fox , a manhattan filmmaker in her 40s , exploring what she cheerfully calls her “messed - up self” required a bit more input . in “flying : confessions of a free woman , ” ms . fox takes her issues on the road , soliciting advice from female friends in more than a dozen countries . in the process , she learns that she is not unique .
a 42 - year - old woman is discussing dating in new york . she agonises about whether or not to stay with her married south african lover or commit to a new relationship with a swiss film - maker called patrick . sound familiar ? the show has already been described by candace bushnell of sex and the city fame as
required viewing for every woman
. but flying : confessions of a free woman is not a drama or soap opera ; rather the two - parter , filmed over the course of five years by the american director jennifer fox , is going out tonight as part of bbc4 ' s storyville documentary strand .
i had never filmed myself before . i had never wanted to put myself in a film , but now i picked up the camera , because it felt like the only way i figure out how to see myself in the world as a woman–literally place myself in my house , on the street , in a city . my need to find out who i was as a woman became the key to make a film about female life today and the way women speak . ( and of course , i had to call it “confessions of a free woman” because i had to laugh at my own slavery ! )
65 . flying : confessions of a free woman ( jennifer fox , 2006 ) . an amazing six - hour , six - part , documentary of epic proportions in which we follow the filmmaker as she travels around the world asking her women friends how they construct and imagine their lives as she struggles to figure out her own . in her attempt to capture how women talk , fox filmed her conversations with friends using a technique she calls “passing the camera . ” read my post on the film , “ flying takes documentary form to new heights . ”
fascinated by stories of the aristocratic bustros family , who remained in their large 19th century mansion in the mostly deserted downtown section of beirut during the lebanese civil war , director jennifer fox ( flying : confessions of a free woman , an american love story ) leaves n . y . u . film school to document her good friend gabby bustros ' return to her family home . filming everything from an auto race to an elaborate family wedding , from a festive costume party to a group sailboat outing , beirut : the last home movie
director jennifer fox ‘s “ flying : confessions of a free woman ” is a six hour - long film ( divided into one hour episodes ) that maps the world of female life and sexuality today–from the dramatic turns in her own life to the stories of women around the globe that shed light on the “universal issues all women face . ” the film uses a “groundbreaking” camera technique , called “passing the camera , ” creating a new type of documentary language and storytelling that mirrors the “special way” women communicate . the sundance ’07 film opens at new york’s film forum on july 4th .
fox is a serious film - maker . she won the grand jury prize at sundance for her film beirut : the last home movie . for the tv series an american love story she lived with a mixed - race couple and their children for two years . and in flying : confessions of a free woman , she doesn ' t just hang out in her tribeca loft with her sex and the city girlfriends . she visits women around the world , from new york to south africa , britain to cambodia , russia to pakistan .
she co - produced , directed and shot the acclaimed six - part film , flying confessions of a free woman through a unique danish co - production , funded by the danish film institute , tv - 2 denmark , bbc , arte , yle - 1 , sbs , svt , icon & humanist channels netherlands , the sundance channel , and a creative capital grant . flying premiered at the international documentary film festival in amsterdam ( idfa ) in 2006 and the sundance film festival in 2007 and did a 20 - city theatrical tour in north america before airing on the bbc , svt , tv - 2 , yle , sbs , and the sundance channel in 2008 .
her last work , the cutting edge , six - part , “flying confessions of a free woman” was made through a unique danish co - production , funded by the danish film institute , tv - 2 denmark , bbc , arte , yle - 1 , sbs , svt , icon & humanist channels netherlands , the sundance channel , and a creative capital grant . flying premiered at the international documentary film festival in amsterdam ( idfa ) in 2006 , the sundance film festival in 2007 and did a 20 - city theatrical tour in north america before airing on the bbc , svt , tv - 2 , yle , sbs , and the sundance channel in 2008 . it is currently available on dvd and in educational release .
fast - forward 34 years . for flying : confessions of a free woman , director jennifer fox spent five years visiting 17 countries , making countless women friends , and shooting 1 , 700 hours of film in her search into the identity of contemporary women . using her own life and loves as the film ' s central conceit , fox sought not to create a film about herself , but to weave a connection with other women and their stories . the wingspan of this audacious and exhilarating six - part , six - hour series stretches from phnom penh to islamabad , from lapland to capetown , and effectively employs flying metaphors throughout . chapter titles include
test piloting ,
experiencing turbulence ,
crash and burn ,
walking away from the wreck
and
breaking the sound barrier .
appropriately , flying opens at the film forum in new york city on independence day and screens through july 17 .
filmmaker jennifer fox ' s six - hour documentary flying : confessions of a free women , represents the first time the acclaimed director has allowed herself to step in front of the camera , baring ( almost ) all about her family , friendships , and romantic relationships . she ' s already detailed here at huffpo her evolution as a feminist , and the film takes the phrase
the personal is political
and mines it for all it ' s worth . fox begins each of the six segments that make up the film with old movies from her childhood , setting the stage for her desire , above all else , to be
free .
in our post - 9 / 11 world , the phrase
fear of flying
has a very different meaning from the one championed by erica jong in her 1973 bra - burning manifesto of liberation . jong ' s iconic fear of flying examined the female psyche ( primarily hers ) through the man - woman conundrum , sex , marriage , divorce , motherhood and that elusive shangri - la , freedom . and jong modernized the quotidian sexual fantasy into a rousing
zipless fuck .
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years passed and i continued to try to imagine how my new idea could be conceived . meanwhile i entered my forties and a major love affair with a man who was supposed to be “my one and only” ended abruptly . when he bailed on me , all my ideas about relationships , love , the rules of life and even god fell apart . suddenly i understood that i had been carrying around all these old values of what a woman should be like , while externally defying all those values . people thought of me as a “free” woman , but i knew inside i wasn’t free at all . i felt invisible because i wasn’t married and didn’t have kids–even though i had never wanted those things !
but even the people most intimately involved with “flying” are surprised by ms . fox’s candor . “we shared intimacies in a very typically girl - talk way , ” said caroline goldie , a berlin filmmaker whose bout with cancer became a piece of the “flying” fabric , “although i must be honest , i was a bit more guarded than jen about what i was prepared to say on camera . ”
07 . pay for the creation of an educational guide to accompany the film to schools and universities . the educational guide will also be made available for free download from the website .
as one of the greatest works of english literature and names his son robert louis . maltby’s choice of favourite book is a reflection of his own character : he is a free spirit who leads an unconventional life of poverty and intellectual curiosity ( followed by his son until the latter goes to school and the weight of social disapproval leads to the end of their idyll ) .
and indeed there are great levelling moments in flying that stop us being cultural tourists . many of the women she interviews around the world , especially those in poor rural areas , give her tough - love advice about flaky married lover , kai . and fox likes the fact that many of them laugh about her obsession with being a free , hyper - sexual woman . there are other things to worry about – work , family , survival – not just orgasms , they remind her . researching the whole issue of sex trafficking , too , makes fox confront the fact that she herself was pressured into having sex by a sports coach when she was only 13 .
the irony is that in hating her as a child , i too had ended up with a bellyful of rage that i carried everywhere ! during the making of flying , i started to let go of my anger towards my gram . i thought if i could break free of some of the shackles passed down generation to generation by the women in my family , than i could actually change history backwards . suddenly i felt part of the tree of women in my family ; my gram was my roots , my mother and aunt the trunk , and i the branches . if any one part of the tree could be rejuvenated than the rest of the tree would become healthier . i think my journey towards liberation as a woman actually helped my grandmother , mother , and aunt become freer . although i suspect this idea must sound a little mad !
has written narratives in the tradition of stevenson , e . g . le chercheur d’or ( 1985 , which includes a relationship between the narrator and the indigenous woman ouma , a name borrowed from ‘falesá’ ) , la quarantaine ( 1995 ) , and poisson d’or ( 1997 ) .
this film premiers july 4th - 17th at the film forum in nyc . it is going to be an exciting and groundbreaking film that i ' m sure will create quite a buzz . i ' ve seen the film and was truly awestruck by its profundity and brave exploration of women all over the world . the filmmaker , jennifer , bares her soul as she uses herself as a tool to address the issues that face women no matter their background or ethnicity . it is a film that all should see , male or female , to better understand the world around us and the strides that still need to be taken to ensure equality and peace . besides , its political and societal significance , flying : confessions of a free women , is also a compelling and soap opera like film that , despite its length , flies by in a whirlwind of emotional drama and hilarity . thank you to jennifer fox for giving so many different women a voice . this film is a must see !
by turns playful , sexy , tragic and contemplative , “flying” is an addictive soap about sexuality and sisterhood . and if that makes the average man’s eyeballs roll , all the more reason for his honey to buy him a ticket .
jennifer fox ' s flying is quite an honest search into the hearts and minds of women around the world on the subject of love , men , and children . it is fascinating to hear women ' s perspectives and to simultaneously see the unfolding of one woman ' s journey into learning about herself and what she thought was her idea of love at the same time . heartwarming and thoughtful , it is a candid and vulnerable auto - videography that stays with you long after you have viewed it . it also encourages discussion afterwards .
“i could really see this being a book , ” ms . fox , 47 , said of her latest documentary , which is scheduled for several european television outlets late this summer . “flying , ” made over five years , is part personal memoir , feminist manifesto and diagnosis of the state of global woman . it is also an eclectic mix of film languages , including vérité , self - shooting , diaries , narration and what ms . fox calls “passing the camera , ” in which her subjects shoot one another as well as her .
declared himself a ‘stevenson worshipper’ , praised his ‘marvellous lightness’ , and wrote : ‘i love stevenson because he gives the impression he is flying’ ( calvino 1955 / 1995 : 968 - 9 , calvino 1959 / 1995 : 1528 - 9 ) .
according to the publicity , flying tackles questions that are at once personal and universal . does choice equal happiness ? what does it mean to be a free woman today ? i ' m not quite convinced . yes , there are moving moments – when fox films pat in remission ; or visits a berlin - based film - maker who has fallen in love again during treatment for ovarian cancer – but they often feel pretty incidental to jennifer ' s big love story . when she meets two women in rural pakistan – who humblingly have given up the chance of marriage in order to study and campaign – you think ,
oh god , she ' s not going to bang on about her love triangle again , is she ?
you know , it ' s funny why people don ' t end up in a film─and why they do . in flying , people assumed that my lover kai didn ' t want to be filmed , but in fact i never asked him . he was married , he had a family , and i never thought to expose his face , because that would be a complete act of betrayal . whereas with patrick i pushed quite hard to let me film him as you see in the film . it ' s not very nice of me to have done that , but i wanted you ( the audience ) to know that i can be a very driven woman─a woman for whom work is everything . but the stakes for filming patrick were much lower than if i filmed my lover , kai . i couldn ' t live with myself and reveal his face on screen .
men dominate much of the talk in “flying , ” whether the topic is new love , old love , child support or paternal influence . for her part ms . fox makes it clear throughout the film that as a girl she wanted a life like her father’s ; he was a pilot , among other things , a man with a career and a life outside the home . her mother , on the other hand , was busy rearing five children .
part personal diary , part transglobal slumber party , “flying” is a six - hour exploration of modern womanhood humming with talk of men . during kitchen - table chats and late - night meltdowns , women as diverse as an egyptian journalist and an indian civil rights lawyer struggle to control their finances and their fertility .
ida presents a special screening of mcqueen with moderated q & a . the film is a personal look at the extraordinary . . .
he argues that we need more confessional documentaries , not fewer .
i think you could do good confessions or bad confessions . documentary isn ' t de facto worthy . we always try to buck this trend : in fact , we say you should enjoy storyville as you would grazia or the independent , there ' s no difference .
he argues that the slot is a place for any sort of programme – different styles , different attitudes , different subjects – the only requirement being that they should all be strongly narrative . and he points out that the most powerful section of the film – the death of fox ' s grandmother and her rapprochement with her mother and aunt – doesn ' t have a single boyfriend in shot .
a traveling program of films opens tonight in nyc presented by what moves you ? , cinema tropical and the center for latin american and caribbean studies at nyu . the documentary film series is committed to enriching the discussion on a wide variety of issues pertaining to mexican immigration to the us . all films are in spanish with english subtitles and all screenings are free and open to the public .
in this two part documentary , master storyteller jennifer fox lays bare her own turbulent life to penetrate what it means to be a free woman today . as her drama of work and relationships unfolds over four years , our protagonist travels to over seventeen countries to understand how diverse women define their lives when there is no map . employing an ingenious new camera technique called
passing the camera
, fox creates a documentary language that mirrors the special way women communicate . over intimate conversations around kitchen tables from south africa and russia to india and pakistan , she initiates a groundbreaking dialogue among women , illuminating universal concerns across race , class and nationality .
the filmmaker traveled alone through what are often considered some of the most dangerous regions on the planet , but because of the nature of her project , she always made advance arrangements with the women she planned to meet .
and being under the care and guidance of a local woman meant that i was much safer than i would have been had i been on my own ,
she concedes .
this will be the lazy woman ' s version of jennifer merin ' s very cool top 25 list of docs by and / or about women that she feels are must - sees . here , instead of a description by me , you get a link to the film ' s website , or to a site that says something interesting about the film - - infinite numbers of worlds to choose from , that i would never deny anyone . writing film synopses right now , not so much .
in explaining her chosen style , fox says :
this is a real life , i ' m sick of fake lives being shown . this is a real female life , you may hate it , you may think i ' m self - involved , i am . you may think i ' m confused , i am . but this is actually exposing the inside of one woman ' s real life and not a fantasy .
the central board of film certification ( cbfc ) cleared the film with a u / a certificate after a total of eight cuts designed to tone down the action sequences and mute a particular word . tanuj garg , representative of balaji motion pictures stated the cuts were less than a minute of screen time . [ 9 ]
a year - and - a - half in the lives of an interracial couple and their two biracial daughters .
the professional and personal life of a sexual surrogate begins to unravel when she starts working with a new client .
jennifer has executive produced many award - winning films including : “love & diane , ” “on the ropes , ” “double exposure , ” “project ten : real stories from a free south africa , ” “cowboys , lawyers and indians” , “absolutely safe ? ” , and presently the fiction feature film , “upstate” and “cat scratch fever” .
wrote a short text of praise ( 7 december 1896 ) to the members of a stevenson memorial committee for the erection of a stevenson monument or memorial in edinburgh ( mallarmeé 1896 / 1979 : 879 - 80 ) .
in flying , the
passing the camera
technique becomes the great equalizer , as no one person in the conversation has more power than the other . both film each other , both can ask questions of the other , both people are equally on the line .
on top of that ,
fox adds ,
the whole question , ‘can a layperson shoot with a camera ? ' is so obviously answered in the film . my camera instruction to each woman took about 30 seconds , and within 30 seconds they were filming me , often quite beautifully . this was true whether it be women in new york , britain , india or pakistan - - virtually anywhere .
director jennifer fox does a q & a after a sold - out screening of my reincarnation at the singapore film festival and explains the importance of the film ' s kickstarter campaign ( urltoken ) .
the journey of flying was literally sewing myself─and my mother , my grandma and my aunt─into a fabric of history , way beyond our personal experiences . suddenly , i understood that my gram , for example , whom i felt terribly hurt by as a child , was acting out very universal patterns of female life . her role in life was prescribed from birth because of her gender . part of why she hurt me was to make sure that i would become a
good girl ,
meaning prim and proper and essentially sexless─so that ultimately i would be accepted by society through a
good
marriage . during flying , i understood that the tiny , suffocating role she was trying to shove me into was the role she had been forced to fit into when she was a child . it was the only role she could imagine for me─the role that women have been forced to play throughout history and in almost every society on the planet .
“flying“ is a particularly well - suited teaching tool because of its experimental camera techniques accompanied with strong narrative storytelling and editing . i have taught hundreds of classes using excerpts of the film to incorporate the camera methods and demonstrations into class participation . it is also an excellent launch to talk about international fundraising and distribution as it was a danish co - production and was pre - sold to seven television stations internationally . ( complete teaching engagement list available upon request ) .
the last straw came when i hit my own
middle - age - single - woman - crisis
in my early forties . for all i had accomplished , i felt none of it mattered because i hadn ' t married and didn ' t have kids . now the complication was : i didn ' t ever want to marry or have children , but that didn ' t stop me from feeling i should have these things ! and even more i felt that because i didn ' t have a family , my life was invisible . i kept thinking of all the relationships i had over the past 20 years that had come and gone , yet i was the only one who carried my history . the whole crisis made me realize that i had never faced the issues i had as a result of being a woman . all my life i had rejected all the traditional female values , only to be stabbed in the back by my own conformist subconscious mind at age forty ! i had to do something to understand myself as a woman ! after 20 years of psychotherapy , suddenly filming myself seemed like the only way out of my depression . what ' s a more perfect mirror , but a video camera ? beside which , it was the only tool i knew well .
the technical limitations were a means of lightening the process and getting around the critical mind , both my own and that of the other woman . i wanted to force myself to work fast and light ; i wanted to throw the camera on a table , a basin or a countertop . it should all have the feeling of : “oh we’re just fooling around and having fun ! ” equally , i decided that i would allow myself to film enormous amounts of footage ( we ended up with 1600 hours ) knowing that i would only use a small portion of the footage in the film . i accepted that a lot of the footage would be crap , but i knew by lessening the importance of any given shooting day , i would relax and overall i would get those few authentic moments in return .
aileen : life and death of a serial killer , nick broomfield , 2003 .
of lion and of unicorn : essays on anglo - scottish literary relations in honour of prof . john macqueen
53 . this is what democracy looks like ( jill friedberg & rick rowley , 2000 ) . edited from footage shot by over a hundred media activists , this film presents a political and emotional account the 1999 wto protests in seattle . an important example of the power of collaborative filmmaking . presents a unique point of view made possible by weaving together footage from a hundred cameras . a glimpse of the future of documentary film made possible by collaboration on a grand scale .
34 . hearts of darkness : a filmmaker’s apocalypse ( fax bahr , george hickenlooper , and eleanor coppola , 1991 ) . a film about the making of apocalypse now and among the best “making of” documentaries .
the premiere of a new restoration by anthology film archives of the independent documentary from 1959 , the cry of jazz , with filmmaker , edward o . bland .
we are pulling this article from the archive to promote our upcoming doc u : shooting overseas : making your doc on foreign soil at the afci locations show at the l . a . convention center . on friday , june 15 , we are hosting a panel of doc filmmakers who have traveled the globe and film commissioners whose job it is to make filming in their countries as straightforward as possible . register for the afci locations show and rsvp for this free doc u today !
11 . tokyo olympiad ( kon ichikawa , 1965 ) . a montage of the 1964 olympics . a large number of camerapeople captured the event which through editing become cinematic poetry .
51 . buena vista social club ( wim wenders , 1999 ) . a poetic documentary wherein guitarist ry cooder gathers together twelve legendary musicians and resurrects the music of pre - revolutionary cuba for a series of recording sessions and performances . a variety of performances and observational footage are inter - cut with interviews of the musicians reminiscing in a backdrop of a decaying but colorful havana . the lush and colorful images were captured using a mix of minidv and digital betacam in the pal format , helping to de - stigmatize the use of video for films destined for theatrical release .
while critics rejected stevenson as a major writer for many decades , creative writers continued to admire the work of this ‘writers’ writer’ . what follows is only the start of a collection of observations on stevenson by writers .
’s essay la pensée radicale ( 1994 ) centred on the relationship of thought and the real has as an epigraph a quotation from ‘a humble remonstrance’ ( ‘the novel is a work of art not so much because of its inevitable resemblance with life but because of the insuperable differences that distinguish it from life’ ) .
) : strunsky was to deliver a speech on w . e . henley to the woman’s press association ; it was later published as ‘on the principle of loyalty in biography’ , impression quarterly , march 1902 . in it , she defended henley ’s biographical sketch of stevenson , ‘r . l . s . , ’ pall mall magazine , december 1901 , against charges of disloyalty . henley was responding to sir graham balfour’s the life of robert louis stevenson ( 1901 ) , which he considered false but which was loved by stevenson’s admirers . ]
33 . american dream ( barbara kopple , 1990 ) . a good example of a respectful filmmaker - subject relationship , the antithesis of moore’s style as exemplified in roger & me .
for example , arriving in india , she met with paromita , a 32 - year - old activist , and was
amazed
at how few people bothered her on the street because paromita served as a guardian of sorts . fox had traveled in india many times as a single woman and had been
constantly harassed and even got into some pretty awful situations .
thanks to paromita , fox was able to integrate into indian culture
in a really wonderful and seamless manner . this vision of another culture was great for the film , but it was also great for me personally because i had the best experience of india that i ever had .
of all this group [ writers of ‘critical and miscellaneous prose’ in the victorian age ] , the greatest was robert louis stevenson . versatility was one of stevenson’s most conspicuous qualities , for , besides being the foremost essayist since lamb and a master of fiction , whether in the form of romance or in that of short story , he was also a dramatist and a poet . [ … ]
i admire some of his poems and a great deal of his prose’ ; in another letter of the same year he says ‘i think it was stevenson ' s method of describing action without adjectives or adverbs which taught me a good deal . ’ ( urltoken )
there are never pat answers or neat resolutions on offer , although he does go see his mother after eighteen years and walks away better understanding her side of things , as do we . she is a woman who , with the help of a new husband and her steadfast faith , has moved on , forgiven . but not forgotten . there is no tearful family reunion ; there is no contrived circle of love and healing at the end of the film ; there is no simplistic redressing of the morass of plain wrongness that has transpired between this parent and his female children . there is just moving on , living , dealing . some might say there are massive amounts of denial on display . this viewer thought there was very little of that , actually .
teaching a six - week intensive program for new filmmakers to create their first documentary short during the class period . students are taken through all aspects of documentary , from developing language and picking a subject to the craft of editing a scene and storytelling . students end up with a finished short documentary film of 5 - 10 minutes .
jennifer is the author of the screenplays , lila : a fairtale , a feature , co - written with oren moverman , and the short films , the woman with one breast and birdie in paradise . she has just completed the television pilot , the good egg , co - written with deborah copaken kogan . she wrote and is developing the fiction feature screenplay , the tale , for which she was chosen for a dutch binger directing lab fellowship in 2012 and in 2013 to participate in trans - atlantic partners ( tap ) , a co - production development program between europe , canada and the usa .
sim : i see this kind of nuance in the work of your cinematographer , rein kotov . his camera work is really extraordinary . these quiet , formally framed moments become so vital to a viewer’s emotional journey with these characters . we really get a sense of where we are and what it feels like . and a lot of it is really ugly . he bothered to go and find a good amount of beauty there .
, in a letter to the times 18 april 1922 talks of ‘the stevenson cult’ and the reaction to it in the article by maurice hewlett on 13 th april . ‘a few charming essays in a minor key , some short stories – not all of them first rate – a quantity of indifferent verse , and a couple of excellent books for boys – these it [ criticism today ] says are not so wonderful a performance after all’ . ‘two books – “kidnapped” and “ treasure island ” ( with “weir of hermiston” a problematic third ) – are linked to stevenson’s supreme achievement . to these i should add “thrawn janet” , a story seldom mentioned by critics’ .
jennifer has executive produced many award - winning films including : love & diane ; on the ropes ; double exposure ; cowboys , lawyers and indians ; absolutely safe ? ; the ten part television series , project ten : real stories from a free south africa , and the fiction feature film , upstate . she has consulted on numerous documentaries , including the sundance grand prize winner , southern comfort and the slamdance grand prize winner , stone reader .
61 . born into brothels ( zana briski and ross kauffman , 2004 ) . a portrait of children of prostitutes living in calcutta’s red - light district , a slickly produced documentary with beautiful images .
jennifer fox is an internationally acclaimed director , producer , camera - woman and educator . her first film , beirut : the last home movie was broadcast in twenty countries , released theatrically in nine , and won seven international awards , including best documentary film and best cinematography at the 1988 sundance film festival and best documentary at the 1988 cinema du reel festival , paris .
, not only philosopher and critic but one of the great german prose writers of the twentieth century , thought highly of stevenson .
47 . little dieter needs to fly ( werner herzog , 1997 ) . this film tells the story of dieter dengler , vietnam veteran who grew up in a germany . dengler recalls an early memory of american fighter - bombers destroying his village in which he saw one of the pilots and from that day forward he had to be a pilot . he eventually became a u . s . navy pilot and while flying in vietnam he was forced to make a crash landing in laos . he was captured and became a prisoner of war . eventually dengler escaped . for the film dengler returns to laos and thailand with herzog in order to recreate his experiences . a character based documentary done in a manner only herzog could make . but wait , there’s more . herzog also made a fiction film based on the story titled rescue dawn , providing an opportunity to reflect on the differences between documentary and narrative filmmaking ( especially since herzog often makes documentaries with narrative elements as well as narratives with documentary elements ) .
the spring 2010 issue of documentary magazine , the publication of the international documentary association , focuses on festivals and film distribution - - two things of which i know a thing or two .
she calls it
radical honesty
. there could be no preparation : no make - up , no fixing up clothing , or adjusting her emotional state . when , in the middle of filming , she found herself in a deep personal crisis , it had to be reflected on screen .
i thought : ' ok , i will use myself as a guinea pig . ' after all , how could i ask another woman to go on the line if i wasn ' t prepared to go on the line myself ?
an homage to swedish filmmaker roy andersson ' s songs from the second floor , living room is a poetic tribute to every day finns , six of whom are shown in captivity in their living rooms . humorous , touching , irreverent and profound , the film is beautifully shot in wide - angle , static portraiture with the subjects ( all men ) acting out their stories in mini - passion plays . these are human stories of life changes , loneliness and the irrevocable passage of time . these men are in different phases of life , each of them looking for understanding and communion . you can watch the trailer here . the screening is free and you can drink booze while watching !
57 . the wild parrots of telegraph hill ( judy irving , 2003 ) . delightful story of a modern - day st francis and his relationship with a flock of wild parrots in san francisco . beautifully shot on 16mm film , it’s not only a great story , but a feast for the eyes , the soft image with rich colors does justice to the story .
, t . s . eliot praises the ebb - tide ( ' a triumph ' which combines ' truth and strangeness ' ) and later in a review of chesterton ( 1927 ) he is disappointed that no - one has produced ' a critical essay showing that stevenson is a writer of permanent importance , and why ' .
volume ; calvino’s preference for the revised version . calvino says ‘i consider this one of the best of stevenson’s short stories’ [ considero questo racconto uno dei più belli di stevenson ] . stevenson’s uncertainty about how to shape the story ‘is to a certain extent part of the quality of this game of hide - and - seek with oneself in this story of a childhood that one would like
director / producer jennifer fox has offered three new beautiful incentives to choose from , in order : chenrezig thangka ( authenticated on the back by chogyal namkhai norbu ) , wrathful guardian thangka ( authenticated on the back by chogyal namkhai norbu ) , and this museum quality painting of flying dakinis by esteemed artist and buddhist teacher dugu choegyal rinpoche to benefit the film ' s completion costs . ( see sidebar below for more information )
when i finally started making flying , i always thought she would be in the film─naturally she had to be ! she was my muse ! but when i brought out the camera i could see her discomfort─and when i tried to keep filming her she got really angry . she didn ' t want her story on film ; she wasn ' t comfortable with how others would perceive her life because she was in her fifties and didn ' t have kids . no amount of cajoling would change her mind . i had to put the camera away , but it changed our relationship , because as i pursued the film i had less and less time for her . the only woman i began to spend time with were the ones i was filming . it ' s so ironic , don ' t you think ?
at the end of his period as a schoolboy at eton ( 1917 - 21 ) had chosen a passage from stevenson at an annual public reading , but in his first novel burmese days ( 1934 ) , the protagonist , mr . flory , ‘pays a visit to the house of an indian doctor , and discovers a “rather unappetising little library , books of essays , of the emerson - carlyle - stevenson type . ”
now is a crucial moment for tibet , as the last of the great non - monastic tibetan trained reincarnate teachers remain alive ; if we don’t capture some of their true spiritual heritage now—more than just a few esoteric scenes , but a living tradition—it will be lost forever .
d . i . y . or die : how to survive as an independent artist is a low - budget documentary film released by music video distributors in 2002 . the film is a
celebration of the underdog
and deals with why artists do what they do , regardless of the lack of a continuous paycheck .
at the time of his death film director robert altman was developing a feature film based on the documentary .
the notices written of him at his death will give a good idea of his standing at the time , e . g . in the illustrated london news dec . 22 , 1894 : 769 : ‘he is gone , our prince of storytellers—such a prince , indeed , as his own florizel of bohemia , with the insatiable taste for weird adventure , for diablerie , for a strange mixture of metaphysics and romance’ .
there are those who think him a minor writer and those who see him as one of the great writers . i agree with the latter , because of the clean , light clarity of his style , but also because of the moral nucleus of all his narratives ] . ( 1 )
while looking for a producing partner that would inspire the language of the film she was planning , fox felt the documentary film work coming out of denmark was closest to her
aspirations for this new language i wanted to work in for flying .
so she partnered with a danish producer , easy film , and together funded the film through a grant from the danish film institute ( similar to the national endowment for the arts in the us ) . as a danish co - production , the key personnel were required to be danish , including the editor .
this meant that the film was an artistic collaboration between an american and danish sensibility ,
says fox . she believes the project benefited tremendously from that fusion .
gustav deutsch ' s film ist . a girl and a gun ( 2009 ) , a narrative collage constructed using fragments from several european film archives , as well as the kinsey institute .
‘i have had one great pleasure . i have read stevenson . he is great : a storyteller , a thinker , a realist , a visionary , poet , philosopher , simple and complicated ; he has the grip of a master when he begins and his hold never slackens . he is new , original , but of the type that could just as well have been born 300 years earlier or later .
because “flying” was such a wide open premise about the nature of modern female life around the world , i stole from the danish dogma tradition , the idea of making rules to contain the work and give it structure . my rules were very simple : 1 . the camera must be passed at all times ; 2 . everyone in the room must agree to be on film or leave the room ; 3 . no tripods ; 4 . no lights ; 5 . no radio mics ; mic on camera only ; and 6 . no additional camera people .
aparna mudi of zee news gave the film a rating of 2 . 5 / 5 stars , concluding her review that
the unveiling of the visceral saga has a lot of strong characters and mohit has done a good job in adapting a foreign film and complimenting it with the drama that the indian audience is used to . but he has gone a tad over in making a thriller . maybe , filmmakers should step out of this trap more often and we wouldn ` t be too far from making beacons of world cinema .
[ 29 ] rajeev masand of cnn - ibn stated that
i ' m going with two - and - a - half out of five for ' ek villain ' . if you ' re still wondering , the real villain here is the lousy script
. [ 30 ]
“a writer called mr . robert louis stevenson who makes the most delicate inlay - work in black and white , and files out to the fraction of a hair . ” oscar
48 . fast , cheap , and out of control ( errol morris , 1997 ) . presents the profiles of four men with intense passion for their chosen careers : a robotics scientist , a mole - rat expert , a lion tamer , and a topiary artist . as he did in “first person” and “the fog of war , ” morris used the “interrortron” to film the interviews in the film .
) did not include a section devoted to stevenson ( he was admitted to the eighth edition of 2006 ) .
44 . fear of a black hat ( rusty cundieff , 1994 ) . a mockumentary on the evolution and state of american hip hop music in the spirit of this is spinal tap . rusty cundieff , the director and writer also was the lead actor ( ice cold ) .
as a storyteller there isn’t his equal ; the same thing might almost be said of his essays . while the fascination of his other works is simply irresistible , to me , the most powerful of all is his
38 . man bites dog ( remy belvaux & benoit poelvoorde , 1992 , french title : c’est arrivé près de chez vous ) . a mockumentary that takes a satirical look at how media promotes violence as a documentary crew follows a serial killer on his murderous activities .
direktorenhaus is a newly - renovated art and performance space
where a simulation of a temporary gesamtkunstwerk , the total artwork , is explored . traditional methods are coupled with analogue technology and digital media , presenting an experimental directive with social resonances , breaking down the boundaries between art and design .
it also happens to be located in a super sexy spot , housed in a big mansion that sits directly on the riverbank of the spree .
niederhoff , burkhard ( 2005 ) . “robert louis stevenson’s arrival on the academic scene : a survey of recent studies” .
after the cacophony and chaos of a series of scenes of police brutality – the rioting young people are thrown on the cement , kicked , dragged into a van , truncheoned and bloodied and thrown in a dark cellar with no air to breathe – petru is brought to the major’s office for interrogation , the supposition that if he confesses , he will be sent home . gently stirring his tea ceremonially and speaking to the 22 - year - old in a soft “reasonable” voice , using the diminutive of petru ' s name like a scolding papa , the major quickly begins to splutter and rage , intermittently commanding himself to stay calm . he cannot . he speaks with disdain at the privileged , ignorant boy before him . as he devolves into near parodic rage , things tip over into hysteria when he discovers that petru ' s girlfriend is a puerto rican mulatta . when he interprets that to mean that moldavan women are not good enough for petru , and he has a woman also being held captive brought in for petru to rape , we quickly discern that the young man ' s fate is irrevocably sealed .