Internationally acclaimed director Mira Nair discusses the differences between her more India-centric films ("The Namesake," "Monsoon Wedding," and "Salaam Bombay") and those aimed at American audiences like her recent film, "Amelia."
Nair says those Indian films "are made with complete freedom...they are pure efforts and movies are very rarely pure."
Bio
Vishakha N. Desai
Vishakha N. Desai is the sixth president of the Asia Society, assuming the position in July 2004. As chief executive officer, she is responsible for managing an international organization with offices throughout the U.S. and Asia.
She sets the direction for the Society's programs in the diverse fields of arts, culture, policy, business and education, overseeing a budget of $22 million.
Mira Nair
Mira Nair is an Indian film director and producer based in New York. Her production company is Mirabai Films.
She was educated at Delhi University and Harvard University. Her debut feature film, Salaam Bombay! (1988), won the Golden Camera award at the Cannes Film Festival and also earned the nomination for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. She used the proceeds of the film to establish an organization for street children called the Salaam Baalak Trust in India. She often works with her longtime creative collaborator, screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala, whom she met at Harvard.
She has won a number of awards, including a National Film Award and various international film festival awards, and was a nominee at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTA Awards and Filmfare Awards. She was also awarded the India Abroad Person of the Year-2007, which was presented by Indra Nooyi, Chairperson and CEO, PepsiCo, Inc, and India Abroad Person of the Year-2006.
Her most recent films included Vanity Fair with Reese Witherspoon, The Namesake, and Amelia.
Film festival held annually in Cannes, France. First held in 1946 for the recognition of artistic achievement, the festival came to provide a rendezvous for those interested in the art and influence of the movies. Like other film festivals, it became an international marketplace where producers and distributors could exchange ideas, view films, and sign contracts. The phenomenon of international coproduction arose at Cannes in the late 1940s. The festival was at times the site of artistic contention as well, as in 1958–59, when advocates and opponents of the French New Wave exchanged diatribes and manifestos.
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