CinemaCity (A Curtain Raiser)

Cities and cinema are the twins of the 20th century. These pre-eminent sites of aspiration shape reflect and even alter each other. How deeply is the economic, political, social and cultural logic of the city connected to its cinema? And what expressive language can communicate this relationship effectively, imaginatively and well? CinemaCity is an inter-disciplinary, collaborative arts practice that will archive and interpret the city by documenting and studying images and narratives in cinema. We will produce a large, multi-media exhibition on the place of the cinema in our increasingly urban lives. This special preview focuses on Mumbai's cinema. Our project will, in time, include Cinema Cities across Asia. We hope to become an archive of the post-colonial, cinema-soaked, contemporary Asian metropolis. Programme: 4 to 4.30 PM, The Little Theatre Foyer. Installations Walkthrough Multi-disciplinary installation designed by Kausik Mukhopadhyay Pila House: the Cinema Settlement, by Design Cell, Kamala Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture (KRVIA) Cartographic artwork on the historic entertainment district of Bombay Tambu Cinema: the itinerant screen, by Amit Madhesiya, Shirley Abraham, Jatin Vidyarthi A photo, text and sound installation on the phenomenon of traveling tent cinema Sweat Shops of the Cinema, by Design Cell, KRVIA, Avijit Mukul Kishore, Mamta Murthy, Rikhav Desai Traces the network of production units, hidden in holes in the wall, that produce cinema 4.30 to 5.30 PM, The Little Theatre Auditorium. Introductory Session Overview of the project by Principal Curator Madhusree Dutta Conversations with Saeed Mirza, Film maker and Atul Dodiya, Visual Artist followed by Audience Interaction 5.30 to 6.10 PM, The Little Theatre Auditorium. Film Screenings 1 Certified Universal, 15 mins, by Avijit Mukul Kishore On many cinemas that exist and constantly get reproduced in the city Do Rafique, 15 mins, by Rafeeq Ellias Rafeeq Ellias walks a talk with Rafique Baghdadi around old and fading neighbourhoods tracing the memory of cinema Dhananjay Kulkarni 'Chandragupt', 10 mins, by Rrivu Laha A film writer impersonates a night watchman 6.10 to 6.30 PM, Tea Break 6.30 to 7.15 PM, The Little Theatre Auditorium. Panel Discussion What is Cinema City? with George Jose, Programme Director, Asia Society India Centre; Kaushik Bhowmik, Film Historian, SVP, Osianama, Osians; Madhusree Dutta, Principal curator, CinemaCity & Executive Director, Majlis; Rohan Shivkumar, Architect, Scholar & Deputy Director, KRVIA 7.15 to 7.55 PM, Little Theatre Auditorium Film Screenings 2 Dark Room, 10 mins, by Renu Savant On the materiality of cinema ' the chemicals and the moving people. The city as a darkroom Sin City, 15 mins, by Shrikant Agwane On the filmography of crime in the city. Have You Dreamt Cinema?, 15 mins, by Hansa Thapliyal On three women who live along Film City Road - their relationship with the idea of recreation and the place of cinema - as a house of pleasure - in their lives. Audience Interaction and Close 7.45 to 8.30 PM