Short film making has great future: Supriyo Sen

Award-winning Indian documentary filmmaker Supriyo Sen feels people talk about the World War II but shy away from discussing Partition of the country, which caused the biggest migration in history.

“Political reality of the sub-continent changed because of Partition - both economically and politically. But people more talk about the Holocaust and Second World War but not about Partition, which was responsible for the biggest migration in history,” he said.

The director was speaking after the screening of his short film 'Wagah', which has won over 50 international awards including Karlovy Vary in 2009. ‘Wagah’ was screened as part of the 'Beyond Frontiers' art show - a two-day meet of filmmakers, photographers, music performances and discourse “centred on shadow lands of constructed geographical borders”.

Supriyo feels that coming from a refugee background helped him identify the angst of the displaced.

“I remember while making Wagah I did not get the visa to go to Pakistan. I was sitting in the visitors’ gallery on our side of the border to watch the parade. My producer was a German and we had a cameraman from Pakistan shooting from the other side. This seemed to me the funniest experience and that element was there in the narration.”