"Films are not only a form of art but also a coming together of multiple art forms,” says Kiran Nadar. The chairperson of Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) believes that the ability to make images gives us the power to change the world. Stressing the urgency of visual literacy in today’s times—when making images has become as easy as watching them—Nadar has pushed forward a collaboration between KNMA and the Children’s Film Academy. It has resulted in an online film festival for young adults and children.
Called ‘Children’s Talkies’, the festival will bring together a bouquet of hand-picked films that can be viewed in the comfort of one’s home. “We wanted to entertain and educate children, at the same time, develop and understand the importance of empathy needed these days,” says Nadar. The event will be in two parts: the screening of films by acclaimed directors as well as video interviews with them. Besides India, feature films will be showcased from countries, including Denmark, Kenya, Brazil, Norway, Switzerland, Slovenia, the UK, France, Netherlands and Germany.
Featuring upbeat stories of courage and resilience in the face of adversity, the selection has been done keeping in mind the upheaval that the world is going through. “Children in our times are watching the audio-visual medium on every possible screen. They are watching moving images from the youngest years possible. All this is influencing their behaviour, their understanding of the world around them, their self-image, and more. Our aim is to provide them with different ways of thinking and looking at the world,” adds the philanthropist.
There will also be a package of short films from the international filmmaking programme for children—Cinema Cent ans De Jeunesse (Hundred Years of Cinema)—which is co-ordinated and curated by Cinematheque Francaise, Paris. The unique feature about these films is that they are made by children. Besides, another package of short films is being presented by the British Film Institute, London. The festival will also have award-winning shorts from FTII, Pune.
In the video interviews, filmmakers will share their personal journeys in filmmaking, the challenges they faced, childhood influences and more. These conversations are meant to give glimpses of the world of filmmaking. “The journeys of filmmakers from different parts of the world can be a great eye-opener. Films affect the minds of people and shape their outlook. We hope that these talks will arouse curiosity for the craft,” adds Nadar. The festival will go on till November 7. It will be accessible on KNMA’s social media handles, as well as their website.