Friday, October 3, 2014

Log 03: my Saturnine film "After Paris"

As my regular periodical habit, and as with my other two blogs, today I have modified this blog Saturnine's description to "Blog about the journeys, experiences, processes, and karmic lessons of Shanidev/ Saturn." I think Shanidev/ Saturn is completely about gradual processes, long journeys,  and long brewing experiences. It's always a slow gradual unfolding with Shanidev/ Saturn. A slow unfolding journey in which we have many Karmic revelations and lessons to learn. Out of the ten names of Saturn one is "mand" which means slow/ gradual. And I think the Saturnine  experience/ process is a unwinding, spiraling, serpentine journey. It's one of gradual unfolding, development. I would compare the Saturnine path with "sahaja" yoga. Our will/ focus/ actions are ruled by the Sun, and they are hot/ live/ central to our consciousness. But often their effects are peripheral, tangential, delayed consequences are gradual build ups on the periphery, edges, which are ruled by Shanidev/ Saturn. With Saturn, the harvests are long term, gradual, peripheral and tangential. 

Few days I had wanted to write and upload a post on my Neptunian blog, about my first full length film After Paris-(click link) which I had been working and wrapping up in the past two months. But somehow sat on the decision, out of pure Saturnine lethargy for a few days. And here I am posting about it on my Saturnine blog. Because I feel, at the end of it, After Paris is a highly Saturnine film about my own gradual, Karmic, personal journey over a very long period of time. A period of time in which I underwent many uncountable karmic unfoldings and experiences.

I had actually shot the Paris footage whimsically in my Paris trip of 2009, with my wife Sangeeta. And mad a rough narrative into a 20 minute structure in windows media player on my old outdated computer. Over the years I re-edited the 20 minute film many times over in different structures and formats. But then left it for a looong time to stew, and brew on my ancient, outdated computer. It was only in 2014, when my cousin Sangram Gautam (Bubka), suddenly took an interest in wrapping up the long stewing film on his editing setup. I began by shooting some scenes with him, to create up a five minute sequence to wrap up the 20 minute film. But so much I loved the cinematography and visual grammar of cousin Sangram, that I/ we went on and on, and on. Finally, we ended up with a full length 90 min, one and half hour, full length, video feature film. One which I personally feel, comprehensively and thoroughly depicted my karmic exiles, serpentine journeys, karmic odyessy over a vastre expanse of years. I feel After Paris perfectly describes my association, depiction and dedication to the word Saturnine. And, even if one person can relate to  the Saturnine experience, journey, slow brewing experience depicted in the film, I have found great personal fulfillment. Thanks to all those who accompanied me in the process.

Jai Shanidev!!



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