In May of 2012, 10 Art Center students and 2 faculty members made their way to Bangalore, India to conduct research for the Designmatters, Living Home India project sponsored by Ashoka. The team spent 9 days in Bangalore investigating the living needs of low-income housing dwellers in India, with the ultimate goal of creating a platform for developing innovative furniture and living systems for India’s estimated 130 million-person user base.
Graduate Broadcast Cinema student, Dabbu Vivek Ramanujam was given the task of documenting the Bangalore trip as well as collaborating with his fellow students and faculty members to come up with the best way to visually capture each segment of research, whether it was meeting local craft makers and manufacturers or investigating local materials, processes and traditions.
“As a filmmaker and Broadcast Cinema student, it was interesting going out of my comfort zone and working and collaborating with other majors and designers. Though it was India the place I grew up, shooting a documentary there is like balancing a bottle on your head in the middle of a dancing mob, you are right in the middle of chaos with your camera and a hundred people around you . That chaos and energy is the most exciting part about India.”
– Dabbu Vivek Ramanujam, Graduate Broadcast Cinema
Dabbu was raised in India and through his connections was able to enlist the help of his good friend and fellow filmmaker Akbar Basha who served as an extra camera person as well as editor. Together they are crafting a short documentary film about the Living Home India Project. The film isn’t completed yet, but you can check out the 1 minute teaser at the link below.
“It was a a very exciting experience seeing India, the country I grew up for 22 years in; through new eyes. The little things that my American friends observed, pointed out and appreciated almost felt like rediscoveries for me; of how diverse, intricate and interesting India was. Those little things which I have failed to observe and appreciate over the years getting used to it was reminded to me.”
– Dabbu Vivek Ramanujam, Graduate Broadcast Cinema
Click the image to view the Living Home India teaser film.
For more info on the project check out the Living Home India student blog.