Mrinal Sen Quotes

We make things spectacular not by their exceptional qualities but by their natural qualities.

Last year in Berlin I remember seeing a film by an African woman director. The film was an Angolan scene. A young Angolan, for what he is worth, wants to live an honourable life. The colonizers, for obvious reasons, take him to jail. They want to use him to serve their own colonial interest. The young Angolan refuses. They beat him to death. It was terrible. As I came out of the theatre I met a British critic. According to him, the film was not subtle enough. I, for one, found the film to be so close to life. I still remember the retort which instantly escaped my lips in spite of my studied civility. I told the eminent critic coming from the other side of The English Channel: Don’t you know that your predecessors have robbed as of all our subtleties you miss in the film?

What is important is not to seek unanimity but to provoke discussion and, in the process, to raise controversy to the extent necessary. And, in all probability, all works of art are, in lesser or greater degree, prone to be controversial.

And then, one day I run into a habitual film-goer who begs apology for not being able to see my film which, he has been told, is very good. Good or bad, I wish he saw my film.