This film has every message that any student filmmaker should learn as they make films. That's not to say in any way that this film is like a student film, but it's just made with a simple elegance that sends the message that "filmmaking is simple, not easy".
A student filmmaker's mind is both a treasure trove and a garbage dump when it comes to ideas from other films. The blockbusters and award-winning films of the year or years past are big influences on any student filmmaker regardless of their opinions on the films themselves. This brings me to the film that was beautifully made both in script and cinematography right down to the editing and acting.
The film in question, of course, is Columbus (2017). Written and Directed by Kogonada, a video essayist turned film director. This film might just be the reason I make films the way I do now. Even though it isn't the film that made me want to make films per se, it is however the film that made me believe that I could.
There is an approachability and honesty to this film that the Hollywood of today lacks. The simplicity of making a film in a way that communicates a story well and simply. That's something that I feel student filmmakers of today and even some professional filmmakers forget or don't know. Why does filmmaking have to be so complicated? Why do the people who make the most money from them make it seem like one big mystery?
The common theme of why some people don't tell stories is because of the technical commitments of the art of filmmaking. There's always a big deal that seems to be made for how "technical" some things are but the truth that I've begun to realise is that the true value of filmmaking is not in how technically superior you are to other films, but how uniquely and eloquently you tell stories that have substance.
Framing. The simple importance of knowing where to place your camera and how to maximise the angles of the shot itself like in the image above. Such lessons seem to be lost in the minds of student filmmakers today. Is it not flashy or entertaining? I can't say. But what I can say is that the framing of a subject can make or break your scene. Columbus (2017) also makes a big point about static shots and using the tripod to ensure the composition of a shot is of high quality. Composition and framing are overlooked more than ever these days and if student filmmakers don't start paying attention to these details, there might not be films like these anymore.
Understanding storytelling is the last point I'm going to make. There seems to be no real consideration for a story these days. The over-reliance on technical gimmicks and filler dialogues which I myself have been guilty of, has sent the wrong message to student filmmakers. Cinema is found beyond the dolly zooms and filler dialogue moments. Most people associate shouting, screaming, tears and anger as great expressions of anger which it can be, but is the opposite not possible too? Are the quiet, contemplative performances that are designed to make you feel gradually rather than the instant gratification of anger and shouting so meaningless?
Columbus (2017) is a film that the more you watch the better a filmmaker you could become. I mean that objectively, because of how I've managed to learn from it.
Mohnish Rajakumaran is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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