Aruna Vasudev: Mother of Asian Cinema (Supriya Suri) India |

Aruna Vasudev: Mother of Asian Cinema
Supriya Suri
India. 2021. 65 min

Aruna Vasudev, Founder of Netpac, Cinemaya & Cinefan Film festival has touched the lives of many in the world of Cinema. This documentary traces her roots from her humble origins in an undivided British India, to corridors of cinematic universe. It brings together her journey as a lm critic, cinema activist and an impresario, weaving a tapestry that connects the dots that make the large canvas that we know as Asian Cinema Renaissance. This film explores her dynamism painted through a narrative unfolding lives of critics, filmmakers, curators and programmers – who are hidden maestros that largely make the cinephilia culture and by large remain unsung in histories of Cinema.

SUPRIYA SURI

Supriya studied film direction with French Art Scholarship in Paris. She started her career in 2009 as the founding member of Cinedarbaar in India. With her organization she has been involved in curatorial practices, film criticism and educational programmes in the eld of cinema. She wrote extensively for a film magazine-Indian Auteur & ran a cinema gallery- 13BCD, New Delhi. As a film curator & critic she was nominated by the U.S government for the IVLP to talk about Indian Films in the U.S.A. She currently runs her production company Maison Su and directs movies.

She has worked previously on a 52 min documentary on Buddhadeb Dasgupta commissioned by the Indian government & recently made a short film titled Boys From Hinterland.

DIRECTOR,S NOTE

Growing up in New Delhi, Aruna Vasudev had a deep impact on my early cinephile career. I attended her lm festival regularly and deeply admired her. She created a platform that opened up not just Asian cinema for me but also gave budding film makers an opportunity to learn, grow and connect with fellow film makers. After her endeavours closed down, there was a void in the city for cinephiles which can be felt even today. I hope, through this film, I can bring her enthusiasm and impact she had on several lives on screen and highlight what she has done for Asian cinema.

Through this film I would like to show what went behind in creating such big institutions that serve as an archive of Asian cinema for film makers, curators, and writers. The impact of her work can be felt in the generation even today, I wish to explore what she leaves behind for us through these people.