Mumbai: A 7-minute fiction film shot in just two days on a mobile phone is on its way to the online ALP International Film Festival. Sister Josefina Albuquerque Religious of Jesus and Mary is ecstatic, never had she in her wildest dreams imagined that the zero-budget movie she made with available resources would win an award, let alone be an entry in an international film festival.
In the 7 minutes of ‘D for Dumbo’, Sister Josefina tells the story of Sam, a class 4 student who is ridiculed because he could not recount tables as quickly as his peers. However, the child – labelled the class dumbo – outshines his classmates when another teacher gives them a creative exercise.
'Naseeruddin Shah identified with the protagonist'
The movie made as a class project by the first batch of Professional Filmmaking Course at St. Paul's communication centre, Bandra, caught the jury’s fancy and bagged the first prize which Sister Josefina received at the hands of accomplished actor Naseeruddin Shah on August 14. “The topic resonates with everyone on some level. It was a pleasant surprise for me when Naseeruddin Shah mentioned it during the convocation and said he identified with the protagonist.”
“Writing the script was a challenge as I had little training or experience in writing. On the other hand, cinematography and direction came naturally to me. Skills which I self-learned during the lockdown period came handy while editing my films,” says Sister Josefina who is currently the Principal of St Agnes High School, Byculla. She had sought permission from the institute to make the movie at her convenience. Besides, she wanted to experience the whole process of film-making.
Students attending summer classes make up cast of fiction film
Sister Josefina shot the film at St John The Evangelist School at Marol, Andheri where she was the principal for five years. Her cast comprised students who were attending summer classes. Having a soft corner for students who are naughty or have learning disabilities, she says there was something about the boy who played the character of Sam that appealed to her during the audition. “The boy comes from a very modest background and was not considered academically bright. We witnessed a transformation in his personality during the acting sessions.”
A documentary ‘Under the banyan tree - a path to self discovery,’ which she also made, traces the life of an engineer who gave up his material comforts to live in the forest of Aarey and help people with their true calling resonates well with many, she says.
Not just teaching, Sister Josefina blessed with cinematography skills
Her cinematography skills were applauded when she made an observation shoot in which she had covered the life in a day of an Adivasi. Intrigued by the lifestyle of the tribals while she would go to Aarey forest for walks, she based her shoot on them.
A science and math teacher, Sister Josefina believes in taking her students outdoors for learning sessions as she strongly feels education doesn’t happen only in classrooms. She also points out that we can educate today's generation using films as a medium.
So, what does winning the award mean for a person of God? "It is a recognition and confirmation of my belief, combining my passion for filmmaking and education, I feel I can expand my reach to a larger audience," she says.
