15 year old Hajra wants to tell
her stories through the medium of film. Can she do it and How ?
Hajra is one of the many kids who
have found shelter in a Juvenile home in Delhi – Prayas. She is amongst the
many girls in the age group of 8-14 who are victims of domestic violence, flesh
trade and human trafficking. A few months ago most of these girls did not know
their destinies. Today they find shelter in Prayas which helps them in
rebuilding their confidence and has helped them in equipping them with skills
that give them the courage to stand on their own feet.
Their liking for films was quite
evident in the first session of the workshop conducted by a group of Amity
School of Journalism students, me and my colleague. They spoke about their favorite films and
their Directors too. As the day advanced
we realized that these kids are no ordinary ones. They were full of energy and enthusiasm.
They wanted to make their own films. Sessions on acting and mime proved very
successful were they got to learn the art of storytelling without words. This
prompted each one of them to come up with their own stories - Stories that were
to stay in our hearts forever. Tales of
cruelty and abuse started surfacing. Listening to every word that was spoken,
the Team realized certain hard truths of life.
The pace set. The stage ready! We
all were charged to hone their skills on using the camera the next day.
A long session on the different
shots and their meanings followed by practical hands on training with cameras
were conducted. The girls were curious, intuitive, and ever willing to learn
what goes behind cranking the camera. This gave them an opportunity to device
their stories in the form of shots and sequences. After a brief session on
script and how sequences are broken down into shots, we were all ready for the
first COMMAND to be given ‘ACTION’.
Hajra volunteered to Direct and
Pooja said she will handle the camera. With little bit of instructions on the protocols
and commands used in conventional shooting they were all set to start. Hajra
set the ball rolling with her gentle but firm command ‘Roll camera’ followed by
pooja’s ‘Rollling’ and Hajra counted 1,2,3..5 and recorded ‘scene 1, shot 1,
take 1, Pooja Interview ACTION with a clap in front of the camera lens. Four
hours of shooting and none of the girls seem to be tired. They wanted more and
more. Finally the time came when Hajra had to give her final command ‘PACK UP’
The story did not end there, in
the feedback session there were many girls who said that the two days they
spent in learning film making was the best times of their lives. Many felt that
they were confident now that their VOICES will be heard. All of them were very
positive, but one question by Hajra kept me thinking and still haunts me. The
question was “If I have a nice story and script, who should I approach to make
it into a film”.
Do I really have the answer? To
be frank ‘NO’. There is no let out for the common man/woman to speak or tell
his/her stories. Do we harness the potential of these young girls and similar
people in appreciating their talents and their natural story telling
capabilities? After days of introspection I decided to take ACTION. I started
my own blog ABHA meaning shine. It’s an inner voice that tells me to go beyond
this workshop to seek action. It’s a journey I have started. It’s going to be a
long journey. I have not set the path but I know my destination. ADHARA – A movement that should rise above caste,
creed, and religion …and forever work for the upliftment of the lesser
privileged.
