The crowds of Bengaluru have shifted their attention from the big screens that are dominated by commercial blockbusters to the more intimate screens of film clubs across the city. Unlike the films that we see advertised on billboards and shown on the silver screens for weeks on end, cinema clubs in Bengaluru focus more on a curation of parallel and arthouse cinema. They provide a space for budding as well as seasoned film enthusiasts and filmmakers to come together and discuss and share their experiences and perceptions regarding the films and cinema as a whole.
A curation to remember
When one enters a film club, the experience that they have will be completely different from that of entering a theater. They will be greeted with a small crowd of people, all of whom share their love for films. In a club like the Parallel Cinema Club or Cinema Next Door, the selection of films is never random. They are finalized after watching tens and hundreds of films that pertain to a certain movement or maker, and then narrowed down to the few that will make the final cut. These films are selected after careful consideration of how they fit into the club’s larger narratives. These curations hence tell a story of the movements that they were a part of and about the styles of the makers behind them, as well as the socio-political environment of the times of their making.
A closer knit
The sense of community that one earns from these intimate events drives them to create something greater, something richer. Many of the frequent visitors to these clubs harbour a love for filmmaking along with their love for the films. Meeting like-minded and creative individuals in these rooms encourages these passionate filmmakers and gives them the courage to make something on their own. As different creatives such as writers, videographers, and directors come together in these spaces, independent filmmakers often rise from these film clubs inspired by their activities. It also encourages filmmakers to explore and create something new, something different, that is outside the confines of mainstream cinema.
Exploring the niche
In a country so focused on mainstream blockbusters that celebrate heroes and visual spectacle over realistic storytelling, clubs like Bangalore Film Society aim to highlight the wide array of films and filmography that exists outside the mainstream. These movies might be fast-paced, slow, slice of life, survival drama, you name it, they’ve probably screened it. Some of these films include both international parallel cinemas and Indian arthouse films. They don’t just watch, they discuss, live and experience those films, providing everyone who walks away from the screening a new story to remember.
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