Trauma-Informed Leadership - Five Practical Principles
Sunset Bollywood
1. Sunset Bollywood (d.
Komal Nandwani, 2005)
A study in documentary filmmaking, the ‘Cult of
Celebrity’ and authorship
2. Questions...
• 0:00-2:04- Pre titles sequence. What is this
and what is its function/meaning?
• 3mins 20secs- Why have I used both still
and archive footage here? What problems
does a documentarian have when faced
with the need for footage of this kind? (IW)
• 7mins- Why use this shot of the sunset?
3. Talking-Head Shot
Construction
• 9:30- I carefully considered the
composition of this shot. What do you
think I was trying to convey and why?
4. Representation
• How is the male body presented in the
Bollywood film clips?
• How is the female body presented in the
Bollywood film clips?
• Do you think ‘Motherhood’ is a theme of
the documentary. What is the preferred
reading? In the post, Post-Feminist era what
issues are being addressed? (See 25mins)
5. 3 Act Structure
• Act 1- Ends at 16:49
• Act 2- Ends at 43mins
• Act 3- 44mins until end of film
• Why this structure? How would you
characterise each act?
6. Editing, Sound & The
‘Cult of Celebrity’
• Between 16 and 17 minutes, pay particular
attention to the choice of cutting, sound/
effects and the relationship with the subject
matter. Why did I choose to edit in this
manner? (Hint- I had both practical and
artistic motivations here!) (IW & KN)
7. Transitions
• I deliberately chose to use some quite
unconventional, lengthy transitions. Why?
• After the juxtaposition of the two talking-
heads (see 37mins) why did I choose to
fade to black in the middle of the dialogue?
(Note- This is not conventional...do not try
it at home!)
8. Textual Analysis
• 26mins to 27mins: My editor (SIS alumni)
chose to use a split-screen effect during
this segment of the film. Why?
9. Use of Symbolism- (KN
to analyse)
• In your Independent Study, you will need to
select film clips, which convey (at times)
double meaning. See clip at 38:50 followed
by Naam (39mins). What double meaning
do you think I was intending to convey in
this sequence?
10. Narrator...
• Why is there an absence of narration
during large portions of Act 2?
• What function does Mahesh Bhatt play
within this context?
11. The ‘Intended
Meaning’ (Hall)
• At 43 mins I attempted to deliver the
essence of any message which could be
interpreted from the film. What was it?
12. Resolution?
• The final scene of my documentary was
very risky as I introduced a new character
with only 3mins to go. Do you think this
was effective or should I have ended the
film with Bhatt’s ‘finte.’
