E22 • Crafting Complex, Culturally Authentic Characters • DEEPAK RAUNIYAR, dir. of ‘Pooja, Sir’ at the Venice Int. Film Festival + Busan

Past Present Feature with Marcus Mizelle

In this conversation, Deepak Rauniyar - director of ‘Pooja, Sir’, which just premiered at the Venice Film Festival - shares how he found inspiration in Akira Kurosawa’s ‘Stray Dog’, and the 2019 French film ‘Les Misérables’ by Ladj Ly.

Deepak discusses his journey from journalism to filmmaking, inspired by personal experiences and the socio-political landscape of Nepal. He emphasizes the importance of cultural representation in cinema, the struggles that shape creativity, and the role of community and mentorship in the filmmaking process.

Deepak also highlights the value of openness to criticism and the importance of connectivity in the industry.
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1. E22 • Crafting Complex, Culturally Authentic Characters • DEEPAK RAUNIYAR, dir. of ‘Pooja, Sir’ at the Venice Int. Film Festival + Busan (00:00:00)

2. Past Present Feature, Hosted by Marcus Mizelle (00:00:01)

3. Introducing Deepak Rauniyar, dir. of 'Pooja, Sir' (00:00:19)

4. Origin Story: From Journalism to Filmmaking (00:01:31)

5. Cultural Representation in Cinema (00:06:17)

6. The Role of Struggles in Creativity (00:08:48)

7. Finding an Audience and Provoking Conversations (00:12:00)

8. The Importance of Film Labs and Mentorship (00:16:19)

9. Navigating Film Financing (00:20:06)

10. Personal Experiences, Inspirations, and Community Support (00:24:25)

11. From Nepal to Wilmington, NC + Wilmington Film (00:24:51)

12. The Evolution of Filmmaking Perspective (00:27:03)

13. Husband & Wife Collaboration: Creating 'Pooja, Sir' (00:29:56)

14. Capturing Real Stories on Screen + Crafting Complex, Authentic Characters (00:33:41)

15. 'Stray Dog' (dir. Akira Kurosawa) + 'Les Misérables' (dir. Ladj Ly) (00:37:30)

16. Advice to Young Filmmakers (00:39:41)