The origin of the word ‘auteur’ is linked to the word ‘author’, An author is typically a writer and writers are often people who have some unique way of looking at the world that we all inhabit. All of us who share the same cultural or economic background possibly experience a very similar set of events and happenings. Yet, it appears that there are some who respond quite differently to these and seek to express their relationship with the world around, through some medium. This could be words, it could be visuals, music or a film. When such creative expression of a person appears to have some unique thread of perspective and outlook and offers us some unique insight into our own selves, we use the word ‘auteur’ to describe such a creator.
We shall focus on the works of two film-makers , Abbas Kiarostami and Anand Patwardhan, whose approach to films is quite different. Kiarostami works largely with fiction (or docu-fiction) while Patwardhan chooses to make films that are documentary. The fiction-documentary divide is in many ways a construct that can be misleading. Central to all films is the need to communicate and connect with audiences and viewers.
Fig. 7.2.01a and Fig. 7.2.01b
(Left) Abbas Kiarostami and (Right) Anand Patwardhan – film-makers whose work emerges from a deeply personal commitment and vision. Kiarostami makes films that are fictional or semi-fictional; Patwardhan chooses the documentary approach.
