The Essence of Arthouse Cinema

 Arthouse is a film genre where the core component hiding in its name that is none other than aesthetic Art. Here, cinema is purely focused on the thought-provoking nature of the director's experiment, poetic and minimalistic approach towards life and its mysteries.

Then what is the difference between mainstream cinema and arthouse cinema? Well, arthouse cinema appeals only to a limited number of people who applauds complex and mind-stirring themes such as existentialism, surrealism, melancholy, and dystopia that drive the human mind with their interpretations.

Unlike mainstream cinema, arthouse cinema is comparatively slow-paced as it focuses more on the visual poetic nature and deep dark themes. It often portrays inspired amateur artists with real-life locations and a complete absence of Computer-Generated Imagery.

The birth of the modern Arthouse cinema kicked off in the late 1950s with the French New Wave, also known as Nouvelle Vague. Numerous gifted young French artists joined the film industry in the post world War 2 era to change the course of cinema from a typical dull entertainment to a euphoric portrayal of real-life struggles.

A few remarkable cinematic creations of the great French new wave are:

1. "Breathless"(1960)- Directed by Jean-Luc Godard
2. "The 400 Blows" (1959) - Directed by François Truffaut
3. "Hiroshima Mon Amour" (1959) - Directed by Alain Resnais

The French New Wave introduced terrific actors in the cinema industry. Jean-Paul Belmondo, Anna Karina, and Jean Seberg are the notable ones. Their presence had a unique intensity and emotional depth on the big screen.

                                                   Anna Karina in "Vivre sa vie" (1962)

Arthouse film has a global presence as it is appreciated widely. Along with The French New Wave, the modern Iranian New Wave, and Italian neorealism portraying the post-world War of Italy are noteworthy.

In South Asia too, where the dominance of phony pictures is highly celebrated and embraced, exceptions are evident too. Our very own Satyajit Ray, the legendary Oscar winner and innovative director best known for his "The Apu Trilogy" brought a dynamic change in the movie enterprise of South Asia.

                                                                    The Apu Triology

Following his footsteps, Japanese legendary director Yasujiro Ozu and renowned American director Martin Scorsese were highly influenced. Each offered their artistic vision and left their mark in the film industry.

Like rare precious stones, it's hard to find the streaming link and theatres for art films. Unlike Netflix and Max which are full of Hollywood trendy bogus movies, one can stream independent films on Mubi, Criterion channel.

Arthouse cinema has a huge impact on personal growth as it enhances an individual’s knowledge of new culture and leaves room for unlimited imagination which involves the human mind and emotions. One can feel reborn if he is touched by the hidden cinematic gem of arthouse cinema.

Film festivals occur every year in different parts of the world where film critics and judges award the finest cinematic movies, short films, and cast members. Cannes film festivals along with Toronto, and Venice are popular ones.

Bangladesh is displaying praiseworthy signs of development in the film industry featuring some good art films in the recent past “Hawa”(2022) and “Rehana Maryam Noor” (2021) which have earned international appreciation and cheers.

This genre of film largely relies on individual investment in terms of funding, directing, scriptwriting, and cinematography. Adequate financial backing from the government along with the business industry would have helped the non-economically viable film sector to succeed.

With time all human beings must taste the disturbance of stressful life events. During that isolation and loneliness, cinema can be a healthy coping mechanism and bring joy to life.