Initiated in 2013, the Creative Documentary Course (CDC) is designed for participants from diverse backgrounds and is a first of its kind in India. Taught by some of the most eminent names in documentary filmmaking from within and outside the country, over two years our students undergo an intensive creative process of learning through consistent exposure to screenings, discussions, lectures and workshops. Individual mentoring and personal sessions with faculty at each stage are a vital aspect of the course.

Since 2017, CDC has been collaborating with Goethe - Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan (a cultural organization, active across the world, working in collaboration with local partners on a wide spectrum of cultural, artistic and reflexive programs and projects) and Thinking Film.
Thinking Film is committed to pedagogy, non-fiction cinema, ideas around representation and relationships contained within cinematic articulation. It values the interaction between the ethics and aesthetics as an impetus for finding form, and supports inquiries into diverse forms of image-making.

Our students have had the opportunity to interact with and learn from eminent practitioners, artists and scholars from India and abroad, such as:

• Amar Kanwar, Amit Dutta, Amit Mahanti, Anugyan Nag, Aparna Sanyal, Asheesh Pandya, Avijit Mukul Kishore, Nilita Vachani, Priya Sen, Priyanka Chhabra, R. V. Ramani, Radhamohini Prasad, Rajula Shah, Reena Mohan, Renu Savant, Ruchika Negi, Samreen Farooqui, Shabani Hassanwalia, Sherna Dastur, and Surabhi Sharma.
• Interdisciplinary inputs from distinguished external faculty include Dilip Simeon, Ira Bhaskar, Maya Krishna Rao and Rustom Bharucha.

The understanding of documentary and the forms it can inhabit has been severely constrained for various reasons, particularly in pedagogy – resulting in a strange anomaly between filmmaking practice (that has an immense range and richness) and the teaching of it. We try to make a small move to rectify this. We look at documentary as being capable of much more than is commonly imagined, and suggest that the constraints just may be of our own making. Our aim is to nurture a re-understanding, a re-interpretation of cinematic practices where the reality around us becomes our ground for creation and expression. How do we engage, as human beings and as filmmakers to our personal, social and political realities? How do we perceive the world? How does our perception influence the perceived? Does our gaze not affect that which is looked at? How do we understand what we see? What are the stories that are thus born?

CDC is a place to learn not just filmmaking, but a little more about who you are. With a strong grounding in all aspects of film craft, we encourage our students to research, sharpen their insights and articulate their own points of view, as a way of searching for their individual voice. We work with the belief that all narratives, themes and subjects have been addressed by someone, somewhere, sometime. True originality lies in the filmmaker’s own perspective, her/his own unique position, reflections and perceptions. It is an exciting time to be a filmmaker as the possibilities are infinite.

The course equips you with skills that are equally useful for documentary, fiction and anything in between or beyond. The pedagogic requirements are continually reassessed according to the journey of the students, and the curriculum and course structure are kept fluid to allow more intensive mentoring and monitoring. The key features of the curriculum are:

• Integrated approach- The pedagogical design breaks down the distinction between Content and Form (the What and the How of storytelling), Theory and Practice (what we study and how we realise these concepts) and Creative and Technical. The technical is more than acquiring software and hardware skills. Technique is a carrier of meaning and creates the very aesthetics that shape our films. Students are encouraged to unearth these connections and begin their journey as filmmakers who are open to exploration and experimentation.
• Holistic filmmaking skills- In-depth and hands-on learning of all facets of filmmaking is a distinctive aspect of our curriculum. Unlike most other film courses in India that offer a specialised learning, at CDC the students are taught all aspects such as camera, sound, editing, ideation, research, script and direction. These are learnt through practical exercises and theoretical engagement. This integrated approach has several advantages:
  • An understanding of all creative and technical aspects of the art is conducive to the production of better cinema
  • Professionally, students are enabled to pursue the skill they want-sound, editing, camera and/or direction
  • Students are technically equipped to multitask, a skill that is often a vital asset in documentary filming
  • Integrated learning permits working in a small team or even alone, allowing freedom, inconspicuousness and intimacy. These can be critical for some documentary work
• Intensive mentoring- The schedule contains individual and group mentoring sessions in addition to collective classes. The course emphasises one-on-one mentoring across various projects, and this becomes critical to the learning curve of the student. The mentors support and guide the student’s voice in finding its unique expression.
• Practical knowledge- From the first semester onwards, students undertake short individual and group filmmaking exercises and projects that address various stages of filmmaking- conceptualisation, research, pre-production and post-production. Through interactive, hands-on modules/ workshops with experienced filmmakers, participants evolve their understanding of framing, sound, narrative devices and representational frameworks.
• Student Productions- The course is a balance between collective and individual learning, as both these aspects are key to documentary practice. Filmmaking involves team work and therefore the students work in groups, so that they can contribute in varied ways to their peers’ efforts and internalise the ethos of working together to realise an idea that is the film. Alongside, each student directs and edits her/his own film in the last semester of the course- an original short documentary based on a subject in or near Delhi.
• Written self appraisal by students- Students reflect on their work, looking at their experiences, strengths and weaknesses so as to gain more from the course and develop an insight into their own learning curve. The process of writing brings to the fore problems, challenges, and how they were met.
• Wide exposure to the world of cinema- Film screenings, discussions, conversations and talks which feature directors, writers, editors, cinematographers, sound recordists, sound designers, other artists and scholars are integral to the course and key to the learning process at the CDC. The students also attend a minimum of 3 film festivals each year, with emphasis on film review and interview/written exercises, in order to hone their cinematic understanding.
• Preparing for the future- The learning methodology addresses the practical, professional scenario of documentary filmmaking, where more often than not, limited budgets and/or intimate shooting situations do not allow for large shooting crews. CDC students are trained in all filmmaking aspects so that they can be self-reliant in their professional lives as filmmakers.
• Study tour/s outside Delhi- Students have the opportunity to undertake study tour/s outside Delhi for a duration of 3-4 weeks, with course-specific modules and workshops.

A balanced mix of theory and practice, the course is divided into four semesters. The last semester is an extended one where all individual students work on their Postgraduate Diploma film project. The semesters include-

Exposure and sensitisation to various facets of life, art and politics through site visits to screenings, film festivals, performances and exhibitions permeates the time spent in the course.

The keystrokes of the semesters are-

• Typically, students are given the detailed schedules (in most cases) a week in advance for each module.

Mandatory Course Regulations
The course is full time and requires complete commitment. This should be considered before you apply. It is mandatory to follow the rules enlisted below to continue onto the next semester and earn your final Postgraduate Diploma certificate.

• It is obligatory for students to attend all classes and participate in all course work, which includes practical work, readings, primary research, submissions and all other requirements as will be given to them on an ongoing basis.
• Students should be seated in the classroom at least fifteen minutes before the commencement of any class, film screening, lecture, meeting, discussion or seminar. Students will be exempted from class if they are not punctual.
• A student needs to have a minimum of 75% (YTD) attendance to be eligible for the diploma at the end of the course.
• If absent due to a serious illness, the student should submit or get a representative to submit an application immediately along with a medical certificate and medical bills to the Director. A fake certificate/bills will invite strict disciplinary action.
• Failure to submit assignments on time will result in exemption from the entire project/module/semester/course. This will be at the discretion of the authorities.

Sameera Jain, Course Director: Sameera has been a director and editor for over 30 years. She has edited numerous award-winning documentaries and also fiction feature films. Her directorial ventures have been recognised for cinematic excellence at many national and international film festivals. She mentors film students and filmmakers on diverse platforms and has taught filmmaking at various institutions, including her alma mater, the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Participation in film juries and curriculum formulation have been part of her engagement.

Click to view Visiting Faculty

Amar Kanwar is a filmmaker and a visual artist. Recent solo exhibitions have been held at the Tate Modern, London and Minneapolis Institute of Art (2017-18), Goethe Institut Mumbai (2016) and the Assam State Museum in collaboration with KNMA, Delhi and NEN, Guwahati (2015). In 2012 and 2014 at the Art Institute of Chicago, USA; Yorkshire Sculpture Park, U.K.; TBA2 , Vienna and the Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland. Kanwar has also participated in Documenta 11, 12,13 and 14 in Kassel, Germany (2002, 2007, 2012, 2017). He is the recipient of the 2017 Prince Claus Award, the Edvard Munch Award for Contemporary Art, Norway and an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts, Maine College of Art, USA. His films have received several awards like the Golden Gate Award, San Francisco International Film Festival, the Golden Conch, Mumbai International Film Festival, and Jury’s Award, Film South Asia, Nepal.

Avijit Mukul Kishore is a filmmaker and cinematographer based in Mumbai, working in documentary and inter-disciplinary moving-image practices. He is involved in cinema pedagogy as a lecturer at film and media schools across India and as a curator of film programmes at institutions including Films Division India, Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum Mumbai and MAMI. His films as director include 'Snapshots from a Family Album', 'Vertical City', 'To Let the World In', 'Electric Shadows' and 'Nostalgia for the Future'. Many of these have been part of festivals and art fora such as Documenta, Berlinale, IDSFFK etc. His films as cinematographer include An Old Dog's Diary, Seven Islands and a Metro, John and Jane, Kali Salwaar, Made in India and Kumar Talkies.

Bina Paul graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) with a specialisation in editing. She has edited over 40 feature films and has worked with illustrious directors like G Aravindan, John Abraham and P N Menon. She is a recipient of two National Awards and numerous State Awards for editing. She was the Artistic Director of the International Film Festival of Kerala for fourteen years and has been instrumental in shaping it into an important international event. She has served on the juries of various international film festivals including those held in Locarno, Durban, Morocco and Berlin. She is currently the Joint President of NETPAC & Artistic Director of the International Film Festival of Kerala.

Gargi Sen is a filmmaker, curator, exhibitor, distributor and producer. She recently completed a Fulbright Fellowship for Academic and Professional Excellence at the UC Davis, California, USA. In 2011 she was awarded the Clore International Fellowship for Arts Leadership in UK. She is the co-founder of two arts organisations, Magic Lantern Foundation (est. 1989) and Magic Lantern Movies LLP (est. 2011) that she led. She has conceptualized, curates and executes different editions of the film festival Persistence Resistance in India and the world that explores new ways for audiences, filmmakers and cinema to engage. She is also a non-executive director of 4Cs, a London based arts charity.

Ira Bhaskar is Professor of Cinema Studies at the School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. She has critical interests in “historical poetics”, cinema and modern subjectivities, literature and film, film music, screen melodrama and historical trauma, violence, memory and representation. She has co-authored Islamicate Cultures of Bombay Cinema, and is currently working on a co-edited volume of essays, Bollywoods’s Islamicate Idioms, Cultures and Histories. She is also editing a volume of Ritwik Ghatak’s screenplays – Ghatak’s Partition Quartet and is working on her book on Trauma, Memory and Representation in Indian cinema.

Maya Rao is a theatre artist who has worked on and off stage for the last thirty-five years. She is particularly known for her solo performances that have a distinctive form and style. She collaborates with other artists to create multi media shows that she directs and performs in herself. She creates comedy built on current political events and popular issues. Maya’s shows have travelled to different parts of the world and she has been commissioned by well known theatre organisations to create new works. For several years Maya taught Acting in the National School of Drama, Delhi. Till recently she was professor at Shiv Nadar University where she designed and taught a Diploma programme – TEST - Theatre for Education and Social Transformation – a first in any institution of higher education in India.

Sherna Dastur is a graphic designer and filmmaker from the National Institute of Design where she has also been visiting faculty. Her film Manjuben Truck Driver was screened at various festivals and institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, New York. She has worked on a wide range of design projects for social campaigns, exhibitions, publications and films. She also makes handmade paper and has collaborated in the making of The Sovereign Forest by Amar Kanwar. Along with Samina Mishra, she is the co-author of My Sweet Home: Childhood Stories from a Corner of the City. She has designed several large format books on artists including Nilima Sheikh, multimedia projects like Cinema City and cultural spaces like The Freedom Theatre in Palestine, receiving Publishing Next awards in 2014 and 2017.