Accessibility to world cinema helps film societies: Benegal

Panaji, Nov 27: Noted filmmaker Shyam Benegal said easier accessibility to world cinema on television and DVDs has given a new fillip to development of film societies in India. "I don`t see television and DVDs as a challenge to the film societies. In fact, it serves the purpose of film societies to create awareness about good cinema," Benegal told reporters.

Benegal who is president of the Federation of FIlm Societies (FFSI) said acquiring larger range of films has become easier in present times. "But film societies are meant for deeper appreciation of cinema rather than just watching a film in a group. A film society is meant to create a community of people to discuss and debate cinema like you discuss literature. One learns the aesthetics, language and grammar of cinema through film societies," the legendary filmmaker said. Benegal said even universities are interesting in setting up campus film societies. He said film societies grew in India when cinema across the world had become a fascinating medium of self-expression. Speaking about himself, he had benefited from film societies because they served important aspect of his film education. "I am indebted to film societies like Bombay Film Society, Anandam and Film Forum to helping me in my knowledge of world cinema," he said. Benegal said film societies cannot take advantage of the easy accessibility of good films and screen the DVDs because of the copyright provisions. He said the FFSI will write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who holds the charge of Information & Broadcasting ministry to exempt film societies from the copyright provisions of DVDs for screening the films as "study screening", he said. Benegal said there are thousands of DVDs in the market but film societies cannot screen them due to copyright issues. Meanwhile, Sudhir Nandgaonkar, General Secretary of FFSI said the golden jubilee celebrations of the Federation will begin next month. A book on history of the film society movement, international seminars, a digital film on the history of film societies are some of the events planned to celebrate the occasion. Bureau Report