Club Lumiere

Cinema being the most popular artistic expression of the times, contributes in many ways to the development of a human being, both as an individual and as a social being. Club Lumiere is set up with a view to share the sense of appreciation of the aesthetics of cinema as an art form; the Club has organized screening of many films that received national and international acclaim. It continues to impart the shared sense of pleasure and pain of “seeing”. Some of the films screened so far include:

The Song of the Sparrows

The movie is about a little family in the rural village in Iran.  Life transforms for them, when Karim, head of the family loses his job for letting loose the ostriches from the farm where he is working.  Karim soon finds job in the nearby city as motor cycle pilot.  City brings out the change in him which distances him from the family and friends. His honor and honesty, plus traditional authority over his inventive clan, are tested, as he stumbles among vast cultural and economic gaps between his village and Tehran.  Majid Majidi is absolutely poetical when comes to children, be they are courageous or curious; or they might have annoyed or anxious, he captures it with perfection.  Wonderful to watch!

The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner is a 2007 American drama film directed by Marc Forster based on the novel of the same name by Khaled Hosseini. It tells the story of Amir, a well-to-do boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, who is tormented by the guilt of abandoning his friend Hassan, the son of his father’s Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet military intervention, the mass exodus of Afghan refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the Taliban regime.

Harishchandrachi Factory

Harishchandrachi Factory is a tribute 100 years of Indian cinema.  The movie skillfully portrays the story of Dada Saheb who made the foundation for the Indian cinema.  The pleasant narration of the events towards making of Raja Harishchandra is a treat to watch.  Phalke’s battle against his failing eyes and deteriorating financial situation, while making the first motion picture of the subcontinent are portrayed charmingly with ease.  Background music enriches the screen with basic instrumentals.  A must watch for anyone who respects cinema and India.

Kannathil Muthamittal

Kannathil Muththamittal (Peck on the Cheek) is a sincere attempt to depict the Srilankan Tamil issue through the eyes of two women by Maniratnam.  The women, mother and daughter got separated right after of the delivery leaving the mother in the war infested zone and child adopted by Thiru in Chennai.  Child’s struggle to grapple with the fact of being abandoned at birth, her obsessive drives to reconnect with her birth mother, were masterfully crafted with the blend of  internal struggle is soul stirring.   Beautiful photography of Ravi K Chandran sets a fitting backdrop for this emotional drama.

Paan Singh Tomar

Twin national award winning movie, Paan Singh Tomar is a bio-pic on world record holding athlete turned a notorious bandit.  The movie brings out the best in Irfan Khan, who played the lead role in the movie.  It navigates the area around Chambal valley giving a vivid picture about the people and economy in the area. The area cultivated with valour, courage, envy, despair, distrust, fear and frustration had nothing other to harvest human loss.  Dhulia also packs in the finer details and nuances, be it the way he shoots the encounters or captures the familiar sight of swarming flies at the sweet shop.