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296
INDIA INVITES THE AMATEUR
A devoted movie maker from Madras extends the hand of friendship to his fellow filmers
N. P. HARIHARAN, ACL
■ ■ . -'.,■ ■ ■
Photographs by N. P. Hariharan. ACL
GIANT BOAT RACES, a spectacular form of India's festivals, may be found and filmed in Travancore-Cochin State in S. India.
CLASSICAL DANCES, part of India's treasured cultural heritage, may be filmed by arrangement at night if you bring flood bulbs.
ELEPHANT POWER, important to India's industry today as it has been for centuries, is used often to drag timber from the forests.
CAMEL CARTS, used to bring grains and other farm produce to urban markets, are a familiar sight along India's highway network.
If you are looking for new cine worlds to conquer, why not plan your next big trip to my country of India? Information about India's many-sided attractions, her hotels, and modes of transport are yours for the asking at any good travel agency. Therefore, I shall not dwell on these matters here. Rather, I should like to discuss your visit among us more specifically from the movie making viewpoint, in the hope that my suggestions may make your stay here a truly memorable experience.
First off, I would suggest that early in your preparations you should take care to establish some contacts among amateur cinematographers in my country. The Amateur Cinema League will be glad to aid individual ACL members in this matter, providing letters of introduction either to our two largest cine clubs — in the cities of Calcutta and Bombay — or to individual movie makers in other parts of our vast country.
Although the number of movie makers in India is small (about 2000) compared to our population, they are generally persons of means and influence in their communities. Treat the Indian amateur cinematographer as your pal, and his cooperation will be ready and rewarding, often unlocking doors which otherwise would be barred to you. For example, one Indian filmer whom I know helped his American counterpart to secure footage of an important festival held in a temple to which admission was restricted to Hindus. On another occasion a visiting filmer to a South Indian city encountered weather so inclement that he could not expose a single foot of film. Thus, he would have been without any pictorial record of the wonders he witnessed if his Indian amateur pal had not offered to shoot the footage at a later and sunnier time. Instances of such friendly cooperation could easily be multiplied.
However, these aids and courtesies are those which one person of good will may extend graciously to another. On the equipment side of our hobby I fear I must warn you that my country cannot offer you the wealth of materials to which you are accustomed in America. Thus it will be well for the visiting filmer to bring with him just about all of the major and minor items which he will require. Film, especially color film, is scarce and probably higher in price than in your country. Cameras also are limited in supply, as well as in their diversity. Thus, in preparing for your trip here, take a generous supply of raw film and be sure that your trusty camera is in first class condition.
(A current check by the ACL [Continued on page 298]