Camera Confined

Oddbird Theatre and Foundation, New Delhi, has commissioned 13 teams of artistes, dancers, musicians and thespians under its Quarantine Video Project 2020. “Projects are on hold, performance spaces are closed, and planning seems speculative. We wanted to put together an initiative that encourages continued creation of artistic work, within confines—literal and otherwise,” their statement reads.

So far, they have released five films on their website (oddbird.org). Dilli Kiski Hoti Hai? by BAAN G and Khwaab Tanha Collective features visual art and footage of migrant workers walking to their homes overlaid with an evocative poem. Kathak dancer and choreographer Aditi Mangaldas’s Amorphous—The Zero Moment explores how time has become warped during the pandemic. Shot with a microscopic lens attached to a phone camera, Miya Biwi’s brilliant Corona Cam stands out. It begins as an intimate exploration of domesticity and effortlessly transforms into a biting satire. Tadpole Repertory’s Private Language Argument and Aranyani’s Lockdownatyam are some of the other films commissioned under this project.