Film, Music Videos and Soup | Dar Gai | TEDxBITSPilani

Films are an enormously powerful medium and the art of filmmaking inherently illusionary. In this talk by Dar Gai, an Indian-Ukrainian director, screenwriter, and producer, explains how filmmaking is not about what people show each other but about how we make each other feel. Currently based in India, she is best known for her work on the films Teen Aur Aadha, Namdev Bhau and music videos - “cold/mess” by Prateek Kuhaad, “Sage” and “Liggi” by Ritviz etc. Along with being a pioneer in the art of filmmaking, Dar holds degrees in Philosophy. Her work as a result, shows the usual characters in a completely new light. She was first invited to India to direct theatre plays at a school in Gwalior and has also taught screenwriting and film appreciation in Whistling Woods International Institute in Mumbai. What followed led to a whirlwind of 12 awards and nominations in over 35 international film festivals for her very first directorial debut film "Three and a half" which she also produced alongside Indian auteur Anurag Kashyap. With stories that capture the essence of everyday life and direction that manages to add an element of fantasy, her surreal realism laden movie Three and a Half is now on Netflix and is truly a work of art.

Through this very engaging talk, Dar talks about how people connect with each other by just observing each other's mistakes, and how films form a great media for bringing out new perspectives in the same story. Working on a movie project entails numerous responsibilities as a filmmaker, and a successful storyteller is not only one who combines different ways of storytelling but also someone who empathizes with people on the set and keeps the energy up. A good film can convey a plethora of emotions in a short while and very rightly so she conveys this by ending her talk ends by making the audience feel something, be it good or bad and is just glad that she could do the same! Dar Gai is a Ukrainian born director, screenwriter, and producer. From the age of ten, she was a part of the known Ukrainian theater group "Incunabula." Along with acting and directing numerous theater plays and street performances she pursued her Bachelor's and Master's in Philosophy consequently her work reflected her understanding of Western culture and post that she set out to conquer the east. What followed led to a whirlwind of 12 awards and nominations in over 35 international film festivals for her very first directorial debut film "Three and a half" which she also produced alongside Indian auteur Anurag Kashyap. With stories that capture the essence of everyday life and direction that manages to add an element of fantasy, her surreal realism laden movie Three and a Half is now on Netflix and is truly a work of art. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx