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September 15, 2008 Contact: Georgia State students, alum to premiere filmsATLANTA — A young man coming to terms with his brother’s suicide sits in his car, staring at the traffic in front of him. “A lot of times, I feel like he was never even here,” he says quietly. Ashik is one of the subjects in “Southern Stories,” a series of documentaries produced by Georgia State University students that examine issues central to their own lives. Through their subjects — friends and family members — these first-time directors delve into depression, loss and independence. “You begin to feel close to the subjects, because they are not only speaking from their heart, but they are speaking their own life,” says filmmaker Roberto Arevalo, who heads up the Beyond Documentary workshop. The six-month program teaches students the intricacies of shooting techniques, picture composition, natural lighting and editing. The goal is for students to produce a self-reflective film that also highlights the cultural and social issues that affect everyone. “Each student has a very different need; each student thinks differently,” Arevalo says. “I want to understand why they think the way they think. I want to understand why they feel the way they feel. Many times, people haven’t had the chance to speak or to tell their story, and I think the idea of the workshop fits with the desire to be listened to.” “Southern Stories” will premiere Sept. 17 with a screening of the seven short documentaries included in the collection, as well as a panel discussion with the filmmakers. Georgia State alumnus Pushkaraj Paranjpe, a 2007 graduate, is also gearing up for the release of his film, “Dohaa (Dark Waters).” Paranjpe wrote the screenplay as his creative thesis under the guidance of faculty members Jack Boozer, Shirlene Holmes and Ly Bolia. Based on the Marathi-language novella “Kaleshar Pani,” the film follows the lives of a single mother and her eldest daughter living in poverty-stricken rural India. “This is close to my heart,” Paranjpe says. “I wanted to bring this very fine novel to the screen, because the trend right now in films in India is to copy or recycle old themes, where I think there’s so much literature in India that can be showcased and needs to be brought to the screen.” The film differs from traditional Indian cinema in that it has a realistic feel instead of taking an escapist approach, and it doesn’t employ the musical numbers popular in most Indian films, Paranjpe says. “Dohaa” was released in India in January and has been nominated for the Best Director and Best Film categories in the Maharashtra State Film Awards. It also won the Jury Award at the Jacksonville International Film Festival and has been selected for the Boston and Cape Cod International Film Festivals. For the film’s U.S. release, Paranjpe wanted to bring the film home to the Atlanta area, where he has lived for the past 10 years. “It was an emotional decision to bring it here,” he says. “There’s a large Indian community here that, in my opinion, is underserved.” The film is presented in Marathi with English subtitles, and Paranjpe will be present for a question and answer session following the opening night screening on Sept. 19. What: “Southern Stories” premiere screening and panel discussion What: Release of “Dohaa (Dark Waters)”
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