Know why you want to make films: Costa Gavras tells filmmakers

Films are made for several reasons, noted French filmmaker Costa Gavras said here and suggested to aspiring filmmakers to question why they want to make a movie.

"I believe all young filmmakers should decide why they are making a film. Is it because they like to be in the newspaper? Or like to make more money? Or would they like to say something about the society? I always prefer the third type of filmmakers," Gavras said.

Speaking at an open discussion with film critic Daniel Kothenschule at the ongoign Mumbai Film Festival, Gavras said: "I think we still have filmmakers belonging to the third group, including in India.

"They say Indian cinema is all about big comedies and musicals, but I know since Satyajit Ray, there is also another type of cinema, and it is growing".

The 80-year-old filmmaker, who is considered a master of making politically astute films such as "Z" and "The Missing", hates censorship.

Quizzed about the censorship challenges he faced with his films, he said: "There is no censorship in France. It was there during ancient times, but we all fought against it and now we don't have it. Of course, we have to protect the young people from some movies.

"When I went to the US, there was no censorship but they wanted certain profane words to be removed or changed for a film's television telecast. I think it's wrong because it treats audiences like children and tells them what they have to see and what not. Audiences should be trusted in order for a filmmaker's work to be appreciated".

"I believe audiences over 18 should be allowed to watch anything," he added.

In his illustrious career of over four decades, Gavras has made 19 films. An adaptation of his film "Z" was made in Hindi by Dibakar Banerjee as "Shanghai".