Feb 13, 2008

A Panorama of Kolkata

The city of Kolkata, apart from having a population of more than 4 million people, 16 different official languages, and a variety of different religions and spiritual practices, is quite the stimulus for getting into documentary filmmaker mode.

Every outing presents a colorful palette of life varying form the brightest to darkest shades of existence. The people of Kolkata, as embodiments of the richness of their culture, eat, sleep, bathe, groom, and even die in public, boldly and openly displaying all aspects of life and Indian culture in such a way that will surely change the tourist’s vision of existence. Kolkata is known to be the city of the artsy, the quaint, the intellectual — indeed, anyone with a zest for life and its mysteries. It is also well known for its diverse spiritual practices and demigod worship amongst which the worship of Durga is most popular. As a radio-television-film major from San Jose State University, I am stationed at a yoga center, which is the destination of hundreds of international pilgrims that travel afar to join in daily spiritual practices under the guidance of a spiritual teacher. With camera and tripod in hand I roam about amidst this picturesque world looking to expose the essence of my surroundings and creatively broadcast it to the world.

No comments: