Title: Still Life
The film opens on a well known location in Pondicherry, like the Esplanade on the waterfront. The scene is unmoving, just as if the whole scene is a still photograph. There is no movement, no traffic, no sound. A super appears on this frame, which reads ‘Main street. Tourist season’. This scene continues for a good ten seconds. Then all of a sudden, a bird, maybe a seagull, flies across the frame, squawking.
SFX: Cries of the bird, as it flies past across the frame
The camera now moves to follow the flight path of the gull, as the viewpoint of someone watching it fly. The camera moves back to its original position, capturing the very same frame as before.
Of camera we hear a deep, contented sigh. And the film fades into darkness, from top to bottom as if somebody’s eyes are closing.
MVO, Super and Branding: Silence. Solitude, Serenity.
Pondicherry. Nothing’s better.
Note: The concept came from me as a planner and the Creative Director (Pillai) happily did the narrative and finished it. This had the advantages of simplicity of production, adaptability to any duration, stunning originality and adherence to the brief. Milind Dhaimade who was working in Mumbai as the National CD loved it when we read it out to him.
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