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CSAS Film Screening of "For the Love of a Man"

Followed by a discussion with Filmmaker, Joyojeet Pal, and Swarnavel Eswaran Pillai, Michigan State University
Friday, October 14, 2016
4:00-6:00 PM
Room 1636 School of Social Work Building Map
For the Love of a Man is a documentary on the fan following around South Indian superstar Rajinikanth. The star, now in his mid-60s, has become synonymous with larger than life characterizations in big budget films shot all over the world with elaborate music, costumes, and action sequences. The documentary explores how the star and every detail of his life become integral to the identities of the fans themselves as well as those around them. The visual ethic of fandom and star mimicry reveal a form of star worship that is unique to Indian cinema culture. The lives of fans and their families open us to themes of brotherhood, aspiration, political affiliation, or even just means of being noticed. From bankruptcies to reformations from lives of crime, the lives of the fans offer stories that range from the heroic to the horrific, all in a day's work of turning a film star into a deity.

"For the Love of a Man" an independent, self-funded documentary, and the first Tamil-language film to screen at the Venice Film Festival, where it was nominated for the "Venice Classics Award for Best Documentary on Cinema" in the 2015.

Trailer available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPuPmqsgwBc

Joyojeet Pal is an assistant professor at the School of Information. His research is on technology and global development, particularly issues of how technology is represented, and its impact on individual and collective aspiration. He works on digital accessibility and social inclusion for people with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries, specifically the role of mobile devices in workplace and social access for people with visual impairments. In addition, he studies the use of social media in political outreach and brand building in the Global South, particularly India. His interest in mainstream media and social movements in India led to the researching and production of "For the Love of a Man" an independent, self-funded documentary on the religious, political, and economic origins of cinema fandom in India. It was nominated for the "Venice Classics Award for Best Documentary on Cinema" in the 2015 Venice Film Festival, where the film premiered.

Dr. Swarnavel Eswaran Pillai is an assistant professor in the English, and Media and Information Departments at Michigan State University. He is a graduate from the Film and Television Institute of India, the premier Film School in Asia, and the prestigious University of Iowa, at Iowa City. He is an accomplished filmmaker, and his recent documentaries include "Unfinished Journey: A City in Transition" (2012), "Migrations of Islam" (2014) and "Hmong Memory at the Crossroads" (2015). His research focuses on the history, theory and production of documentaries, and the specificity of Tamil cinema and its complex relationship with Hollywood as well as popular Hindi films. His recent books are "Cinema: Sattagamum Saalaramum" (Nizhal, 2013), an anthology of essays on documentaries and experimental films in Tamil and "Madras Studios: Narrative, Genre, and Ideology in Tamil Cinema" (Sage Publications, 2015).
Building: School of Social Work Building
Website:
Event Type: Film Screening
Tags: Film, India
Source: Happening @ Michigan from Center for South Asian Studies, School of Information, International Institute, Asian Languages and Cultures