New Delhi: In the one-minute film, 'Masks and Mirrors', the first scene is of a 12-year-old boy suddenly awakening in a Mumbai apartment. He opens the door and goes to the dining room. His father is sitting at the table, tears streaming down his face. He holds a glass of whisky, with ice cubes in it. A bottle, which is three-fourths empty, is nearby. There is a photo of a somber-looking woman on the table. The man toys with a gold wedding ring. The boy fills a glass of water from the kitchen and is about to drink it when he has a change of mind, and offers it to his father. The man looks at the boy silently, takes the glass, stares at his wife's photo, looks back at the boy, and says, with a smile, 'Breakfast?' The boy nods, and gives a smile.
It seems that 'Masks and Mirrors' is about a man who is grieving over the break-up of his marriage. Director George Mangalath Thomas, a Mumbai-based advertising and documentary filmmaker, laughs, and says, "It is an open-ended film. Viewers can bring in their own in-terpretations. If my film makes you think, speculate and discuss, it means it has worked."
The film was one of the 25 films shortlisted from among 2,000 entries for the 'Filminute' international competition. Incidentally, George is one of the only three filmmakers who made it to the shortlist thrice. His earlier entry, 'Staircase', a multi-award winning film, is also stunning.
"It requires a lot of discipline to tell an effective story in 60 seconds," he says. "Your planning of each shot should be immaculately conceived, so that everything is crystal-clear in your head. That way, you know the answer to every question that the crew puts to you. Finally, the biggest challenge is to make the film on a zero budget!"
About the name 'Masks and Mirrors', George says, "Everybody wears a mask, even with the people closest to them. But there are times when the mask slips, and the person is exposed. It can be a naked feeling and might make you feel very uncomfortable. As far as mirrors go, every son feels he will be forging his own path, but in the end tends to follow his father’s footsteps, thus becoming his mirror image."
George has had a successful career in advertising, corporate and documentary films in India, US, Europe and UK for over 20 years. His notable achievement was the documentary, 'Legacy of the Mahatma', which was shot on three continents. It focused on the relevance of Gandhi's teachings in today's world. Made for the Aditya Birla Group, it was premiered at a conference on non-violence at Bethlehem, Palestine, in December, 2005.
Cinema buff Ramesh Menon, says, "George makes films from his heart and shows reality in its utter rawness. You can see the films again and again and learn something new each time."
George's turning point came when his brother, aged 38, died of lung cancer in May, 2009.
"After his death, I found it difficult to go back to full-time commercial work," he says. "His passing away helped me rediscover my soul." George is now devoting a part of his career to making meaningful films. Or, as he says, "Sometimes I am paid to make films. At other times, I pay others to help me make films that exist within me, their stories a living thing that beats against my chest, asking to be heard."
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