Rima Das

Rima Das (born 1977) is an Indian filmmaker[1] best known for her 2017 film Village Rockstars, which won several national and international awards[2][3] and became India's official entry for the 90th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.[4][5] Chosen out of 28 other entries in India, it was also the first Assamese film to be submitted for Oscars.[4] The film won India's National Award for Best Film and Best Editor.[6]

Rima Das
Rima Das at 65th National Film Awards
Born1977 (age 45–46)
Chaygaon, Assam, India
NationalityIndia Indian
Alma materCotton University
Pune University
Occupation(s)Film director, film producer
Notable workVillage Rockstars
Bulbul Can Sing

In 2018, GQ India named Das as one of the 50 most influential young Indians of 2018.[7] She is also one of the Brand Ambassadors of Toronto International Film Festival's Share Her Journey campaign that champions the cause of gender equality in cinema.[8][9][10] She has been on the jury of Berlin International Film Festival Generation 14plus, Mumbai International Film Festival, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and Zlin Film Festival for Children & Youth.[11][12][13][14]

A doctorate degree was conferred to Rima Das at the 3rd convocation of Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University (KKSHOU) held at the Srimanta Sankardeva International Auditorium in February 2018.[15]

Career

Das made her first short film, Pratha, in 2009.[1] She started work on her first feature film Antardrishti (Man with the Binoculars), shot with a Canon DSLR camera in Kalardiya, in 2013.[1] In 2016, Antardrishti was screened at the Mumbai Film Festival, and the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.[16][17][18]

She became known as a one-woman crew, writing, directing, producing, editing, and shooting a film, besides handling art direction and costume designing. Das is not trained in any aspect of filmmaking.[1] This, she believes has turned out to be a boon for her career:

The fact that I am not trained and I didn't go to a film school in a way helped me to explore more and to be true to my vision. Be it the writing, direction, cinematography or editing, I didn't follow a method trained professionals would. I could understand my craft better and create my own kind of cinema. Watching world cinema inspired me and gave me a perspective of global filmmaking. But I think having my own unique style helped me stand out.[19]

Her second feature film, Village Rockstars (2017),[20] which won several national and international awards.[21][2][3] The film—written, directed, edited, and produced by Das[22]—was India's official entry for the 90th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.[4][5] The film, chosen out of 28 other entries in India, is also the first Assamese film to be submitted for Oscar consideration.[4] She won India's National Award for Best Film and Best Editor, announced on 13 April 2018 by a Government of India appointed jury headed by filmmaker Shekhar Kapoor.[6] Village Rockstars is the second Assamese film to get national recognition after Jahnu Barua's Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Khai (The Catastrophe).[1] The film traces the story of Dhunu, a girl from a village in Assam who dreams of owning a guitar and forming a rock band.

Her 2018 film, Bulbul Can Sing, was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.[23][24] That year, GQ India named Das as one of the 50 most influential young Indians of 2018.[7] A doctorate degree has been conferred to Rima Das at the 3rd convocation of Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University (KKSHOU) held at the Srimanta Sankardeva International Auditorium in February 2018.[15]

She directed a short film called For Each Other in 2019,[25] which premiered at the 3rd Pingyao International Film Festival, and directed her first documentary fiction film, Sunshine Dreamers.[26][27]

In 2022, her new film Tora’s Husband will have its World Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, where it is selected to compete in the Platform section. It is the first Indian film to be showcased in the category. Rima Das talks about her journey making the film, "In the midst of loss, lockdowns and life, we shot the film over two years in real locations and natural conditions. Shooting this film was more challenging than shooting my previous films because the pandemic restricts you in many ways. There was this constant feeling of fear and restlessness, which my characters also depict. But I knew I just had to shoot this film, as this time will become history one day".[28]

Influences

As a filmmaker, she is influenced by master filmmakers Satyajit Ray, Ingmar Bergman, and Majid Majidi.[29]

Personal life

Das hails from the village Kalardiya near Chhaygaon in Assam, 50 km southwest of Guwahati.[19] She is the daughter of a teacher. She cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET) after her Masters in Sociology at Pune University.[19] But the desire to be an actor took her to Mumbai in 2003. She acted in plays, including an adaptation of Premchand's Godaan staged at the Prithvi Theatre.[19]

Filmography

See also

References
  1. Karmakar, Rahul (28 April 2018). "Who is Rima Das?". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  2. "Village Rockstars". iffk.in. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  3. "Village Rockstars Rules MAMI Film Festival, Wins 3 Awards". ndtv.com. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  4. Scroll Staff. "Rima Das's 'Village Rockstars' is India's official entry for the Oscars". Scroll.in. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  5. "Didn't know films could be small, intimate: Rima Das on Oscar entry Village Rockstars". The Telegraph. India. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  6. Indian, Express. "65th National Film Awards announcement: Highlights". Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  7. "GQ's 50 Most Influential Young Indians of 2018". GQ India. 5 December 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  8. "Rima Das becomes Ambassador of Toronto International Film Festival's 'Share Her Journey' – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  9. Hopewell, John (22 September 2017). "One-Woman Band Rima Das on Making 'Village Rockstars'". Variety. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  10. "Rising Star: Village Rockstars director Rima Das". The Indian Express. 15 October 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  11. @rimadasfilm (27 November 2019). "Register" (Tweet). Retrieved 27 August 2023 – via Twitter.
  12. "Juries of 2019 – 62nd ZLIN FILM FESTIVAL 2022 – international film festival for children and youth". zlinfest.cz. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  13. Mahanta, Jutikaa (5 October 2018). "Nine films shortlisted for the third edition of Oxfam Best Film on Gender Equality Award 2018 at Jio MAMI 20th Mumbai Film Festival with Star". Bollywood Couch. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  14. Entertainment, Quint (12 February 2020). "Rima Das Reacts to Being on the Berlin Film Festival Jury". TheQuint. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  15. "Doctorate Degrees conferred to PG Baruah and Rima Das". G Plus. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  16. "'Antardrishti' screened at Cannes Fest". The Sentinel. 18 October 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  17. Man with the Binoculars (Antardrishti) – Trailer – Jio MAMI 18th Mumbai Film Festival with Star, retrieved 23 November 2019
  18. Grater, Tom. "Tallinn Black Nights: 'The White King' among first features competition". Screen. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  19. Dutt-D'Cunha, Suparna (10 April 2019). "I am not trained, says filmmaker Rima Das". India Today. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  20. "Rising Star: Village Rockstars director Rima Das". Indianexpress.com. 15 October 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  21. "Rima Das rocks the charts with her movie Village Rockstars 6112017". M.indiatoday.in. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  22. Purkayastha, Debasree (25 September 2017). "Rockstar from the village". The Hindu. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  23. "Bulbul Can Sing". TIFF. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  24. "After Village Rockstars, Rima Das's Bulbul Can Sing will premiere at TIFF this September". The Indian Express. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  25. "Rima Das' 'For Each Other' premieres at Pingyao film fest in China". Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  26. "BRICS ৰ সহ–প্ৰযোজনাৰ 'Kids & Glory'ৰ অংশ হিচাপে ৰীমা দাসৰ ক্ৰীড়া ভিত্তিক ছবি 'চানচাইন ড্ৰীমাৰ'– News18 Assam". News18 Gujarati. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  27. das, rima (16 November 2019). "Presented my first docu fiction 'Sunshine Dreamers'part of BRICS co-production Kids & Glory! It was fun collaborating with Producer Lu Chuan & fellow BRICS Directors Tiago Arakilian, Nastia Tarasova, Shen Zhao Qing, Shane Vermooten & Lu Chuan.Thank you my awesome team and kids!pic.twitter.com/d4NCshXNVS". @rimadasFilm. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  28. "Rima Das' 'Tora's Husband' to have world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival". Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  29. "Rima Das on making films her way". The Telegraph. India. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
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