Frankly Outstanding

On Sunday, 2nd May 2010 at about 7:45 in the evening, the curtains came down on Abhivyakti.It felt like the end of Ionesco's The Chairs with an emptiness engulfing the auditorium, the equipment being carted back, the windows being shut, the enthusiastic voices of debate and comment closing to a hushed exit.

Meaning 'expression', it is the name of a Low cost Video Film Festival that has been held every two years since 1995 at Ravi Bharti Institute of Communication. And some of you who may ask,'Where is Ravi Bharti?' Here are the directions: it is located to the west of Holy Family Hospital, North of Notre Dame Academy and east of Loyola High School on the riverside road from Bankipur to Danapur.Please make a note for next year's Fest.

For the last fifteen years, meaningful alternative films, mainly socially significant documentaries and short films by students have been screened, talked about, nuances elucidated by guests, learned from and learned about and socially sensitised once every two years. Sophomores have become film makers, the ones living quietly on the edge have become film critics. To put it very simply, these three days have been more educationally valuable that the many years of school and college education put together. And this is not an illustration of a hyperbole. For details of the programme and what happened you can log on to Fragmented Rainbows.blogspot.com

Thank you Fr. Benny, the Ravi Bharti family, the eager students from Patna Women's College CEMS who helped and participated, the guests who made perceptive comments: Mr. R.N.Dash, Dr. Muniba Sami, Ms Neerja Lal, Mr. Gautam Dasgupta,the students of AMA and many others who appreciated the films silently. Special thanks to Mr. Vivek Singh, Secretary Culture who at the inauguration had wished the Fest all success.

I am privileged to acknowledge the outstanding work of one person, as a media teacher and as an organiser, the convenor of the festival Mr. Frank Krishner. He deserves a standing ovation.