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NEW CINEMA MOVEMENT

Manifesto of the New Cinema Movement (Extract issued by Mrinal Sen, Chairman and Arun Kaul, Chief Promoter) Reproduced in Close Up, o! ", #uly "$%& 'ndian film, especially the (indi cinema, is at its lo)est ebb today! Spirallin* costs of production, roc+etin* star prices, exhorbitant rates of interest char*ed by financiers, )idespread acceptance of ,blac+ money- transactions in all sectors of film industry . all this to*ether )ith an inane stress on non/essential and an incredible dearth of ideas and ima*ination in creati0e matters, has reduced the 'ndian film industry to a sorry mess! Most of the filmma+ers . directors, )riters, and all . seemed to ha0e stopped thin+in*! Almost to e0erybody, ma+in* a film a film seems to be 1ust a mechanical business of puttin* to*ether popular stars, *audy sets, *lossy colour, a lar*e number of irrele0ant musical se2uences, and other standard meretricious in*redients! (ardly anyone concei0es a film in terms of aesthetic experience and creati0e expression! 'n the pre0ailin* conditions, e0en if a filmma+er finds it possible to ma+e a film of some artistic aspiration, the problem of findin* a channel for circulatin* it continues to stare him in the face! 3heoretically it )ould mean in order to reach find and reach the audience for this +ind of film, the ma+er of an off/beat film must not only be his o)n producer but must also assume the role of a distributor to circulate his film, and then proceed to hire a theatre )here he can run it! And e0en this effort of the filmma+er to combine these three roles )ould not *uarantee that a reasonably sufficient number of spectators )ill be attracted to the theatre! 3he experience of many a *ood off/beat film playin* to nearly empty houses, has inhibited conscientious filmma+ers from attemptin* truly artistically si*nificant films! 'f the number of discriminatin* audiences appear, at first si*ht, to be heartbrea+in*ly small, the reason is that the established film industry, moti0ated by the *rossest commercial considerations, has been for decades dishin* out crudest 0ehicles of their notions of mass entertainment and thus conditionin* the tastes of the ma1ority of film *oers! A reaction to the 0ul*arities of the established commercial cinema has been in existence for se0eral years in a lar*e number of filmma+in* countries, crystalli4in* in many places, into a re*ular, conscious mo0ement for better cinema! 3his e) Cinema Mo0ement ( CM), as it mi*ht be termed, has manifested itself throu*h the , e) 5a0e- in 6rance, the ,7nder*round- in America, and in other yet unlabelled currents in other countries! 3he time for launchin* such a mo0ement in 'ndia is no) ripe, for, )e belie0e, that the climate needed to nourish it obtains today! What is New Cinema? 't )ould be impossible to find a completely satisfactory definition of e) Cinema! e) Cinema is not only a matter of finished results and effects! 't also in0ol0es methods and conditions of filmma+in*, the relationship bet)een the creati0e artist and his audience, a)areness of the chan*in* *rammar, expandin* po)ers and soarin* ambitions of the film medium! e) Cinema offers the filmma+er, abo0e all, the indispensable freedom to reali4e his 0ision, untrammeled by all considerations except the creati0e and the aesthetic! e) Cinema loo+s upon a film as the personal expression of an indi0idual artist! e)

: Cinema aspires to the conditions in )hich a film )ould bear the distinct stamp of the creati0e artist behind it and not of a studio! e) Cinema stands for film ,)ith a si*nature-! e) Cinema en*a*es itself in a ruthless search for the ,truth- as an indi0idual artist sees it! e) Cinema lays stress on the ri*ht 2uestions and bothers less about the ri*ht ans)ers! e) Cinema belie0es in loo+in* afresh at e0erythin*, includin* old 0alues, and in probin* deeper e0erythin*, includin* the mind and conditions of man! e) Cinema see+s the clues to man+ind-s riddles in men-s personal relationships and pri0ate )orlds! e) Cinema encoura*es filmma+ers to brin* to their )or+ impro0isation, spontaneity, and youthful enthusiasm! e) Cinema expects of its audience the +ind of participation and in0ol0ement )hich modern art demands! The New Cinema Movement in India 3o ensure that e) Cinema films )ill be made and seen by people, it is necessary to e0ol0e an elaborate scheme that )ill cut across the 0arious 0icious circumstances )hich inhibit the *ro)th of e) Cinema! 'n this scheme, e) Cinema Mo0ement is concei0ed as a self/sufficient structure, embracin* all three braches of filmma+in*8 production, distribution, and exhibition! 3a+in* upon itself to produce films as )ell as distribute and exhibit them, the Mo0ement has to stri0e for not only ma+in* ne) types of films but also for de0elopin* a ne) +ind of audience! 3he Mo0ement must eliminate the situation in )hich exhibitors and distributors finance filmma+in* and by 0irtue of that circumstance claim the ri*ht of interference )ith the process of filmma+in*! New Cinema and New Audience 3he t)o ma1or constituents of the e) Cinema Mo0ement are8 the enli*htened filmma+er and the enli*htened audience! 3he latter, than+s to the dedicated )or+ done by film societies the )orld o0er, is a rapidly *ro)in* phenomenon! 'n 'ndia, about one hundred acti0e film societies ha0e succeeded in creatin* a ne) discriminatin* audience )hich demands better cinema and is ready to *o to ta+e some pains to secure it! 9ut in terms of total numerical stren*th, film societies are not enou*h to sustain the ne) filmma+er! 3hey ha0e to be supplemented by a ne) force8 ,art theatres-! An Art 3heatre, *enerally, is a modest si4e auditorium )here discriminatin* audiences can, for a moderate admission fee, hope to see a better film )hich )ould not, in normal course, find a place in the usual exhibition circuit! 9ut the screens of Art 3heatres )ill also be open to the superior product of the commercial cinema! 3he e) Cinema Mo0ement in 'ndia shall start a chain of Art 3heatres, to be*in )ith, in 9ombay )here apart from sho)in* the selected best films by commercial and non/ commercial a*encies in 'ndia and abroad, all films made by filmma+ers of the e) Cinema Mo0ement shall be released! 3he Mo0ement ultimately aims at reco0erin* the entire in0estment of the e) Cinema films from the re0enues of the Art 3heatre chain! 3o +eep the Mo0ement afloat, it is plainly necessary that its films should be able to reco0er the in0ested capital! And since the audience from )hich it is hoped this money is

= a limited one . the essentially minority audience of the off/beat cinema . it is ob0ious that the e) Cinema Mo0ement films must be made at the lo)est possible cost! Shootin* on actual locales, ,post/dubbin*-, and, as far as possible, a continuous schedule of shootin* )ill be the factors that )ill help in +eepin* the bud*et lo)! 3his has been the practice all o0er the )orld . on the Continent as )ell as amon* the youn* rebels in the 7SA! 5e, in 'ndia, ha0e to ta+e lessons from such exitin* experience and e2uip oursel0es accordin*ly! Moderate len*th feature films )ill help the Mo0ement to circulate short films and documentaries )hich also it intends to produce from time to time! 'n the sphere of short films and documentaries, the Mo0ement aims at inspirin* and supportin* ,A0ant ;ardeand experimental efforts of a ne) +ind )hich normally )ould be denied sponsorship else)here in 'ndia! 3hese short films )ill normally be of "< . :< minutes duration! 5ith the len*th of feature films bein* moderate, it )ill it )ill be easy to exhibit these shorts alon* )ith the Mo0ements- features! CM )ill ha0e a special panel )hich shall examine the scripts proposed to be filmed and *i0e its opinion )hether they deser0e to be ta+en up by CM or not! 3here shall be a separate panel for recommendin* for circulation on CM-s circuit films ac2uired from other a*encies! CMs- films )ill be director/oriented )hich is to say that the director shall be the arbiter of the film-s 2uality and the principal architect responsible for its final shape! (e )ill ha0e the freedom to choose sub1ects of his o)n li+in* and translate them into films in the manner that conforms most to his aesthetic 0alues! Sub1ects rich in human as )ell as cinematic 0alues . )hether based on reputed literary )or+s or ori*inally )ritten . )ill be fa0oured for filmin*! 3o be*in )ith, it shall ta+e the form of Sunday Mornin* Sho)s at 0arious theatres in the city of 9ombay! 3he circuit )ill, in turn, be extended to small theatres and suitable halls (for => and "% mm! pro1ection), a0ailable in the city of 9ombay! 3his scheme can later be established in other cities also! 3he films (both 'ndian and forei*n), sho)n by the Art 3heatres )ill be of artistic 0alue! Apart from the usual public participation, the Academy Cinema ill ha0e a membership! 3his membership )ill be open to the public on payment of Rs!"<?/ per person per year! 3he membership )ill entitle the members to 0arious benefits not a0ailable to the *eneral public! Academy Cinema As mentioned in the Manifesto, CM-s Academy Cinema in 9ombay (before it is extended to other centers) )ill ta+e the shape of Sunday mornin* (and holiday) screenin*s in a selected fe) re*ular commercial theatres in the city! As soon as arran*ements are complete, the Chain )ill be enlar*ed to include assembly halls, belon*in* to schools, colle*es, and charitable, cultural and social or*ani4ations, )hich )ould be con0erted into art theatres, for t)o sho)s, on Sunday mornin* and Sunday e0enin*s!

A Distribution of i!ms CM plans three cate*ories of distribution! 'n the first cate*ory, films (=> mm and "% mm!) )ill be ac2uired, hired, or purchased for its o)n Academy Cinema chain! 'n the second cate*ory, films )ill be ac2uired, hired, or purchased for distribution on the 6ilm Society Circuit, amon* 7ni0ersities, Colle*e, and School Clubs as )ell as Clubs sho)in* Children 6ilms! 'n the third cate*ory, CM-s o)n films, off/beat films made by independent filmma+ers as )ell as forei*n films of pro0en merit )ill be offered for release on re*ular commercial circuits in all film territories on normal business terms! @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@