er. 8 // The happiest people - 2017
The er. [n°] serie consists of daily film experiments made during 90 consecutive days in India in 2017. Each film of this serie was created in 4 hours, including going outside, shooting, recording voice(s), coming back home, editing. Each film of this serie explores cinematography through a specific constraint.
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THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE
I have asked this exact same question to four Indians: according to you, who are the happiest people in India ?
One was a doctor in oncology of 29, one was a meditation teacher of 60 now living in NYC, one was a former chartered accountant student of 23 reconverted in traveller and content writer, the last one was a law student of 21.
All these educated people gave me the same answer: the slum people.
Ask to a slum people how he feels. He has the freedom to answer with honesty. If he feels bad, he will say that he feels bad. If he feels happy, he will say that he is happy. Forced to satisfy with their condition, forced to be happy with what they have, forced to be honest with their feelings and free to express their feelings.
So is the work of the NGO's ruining the happiness of the slum people? Is enriching the people living in the slums taking away their freedom of expressing themselves?
And what if we ask the question to the slum people, now? Would they say that today is a great day because they have some chicken to eat?
Film constraint: shooting in a slum.