Meet the Real Slumdogs on NatGeo

A scene from The Real Slumdogs directed by Steve Baker

The Real Slumdogs, airing tonight at 8 PM on the National Geographic Channel, examines what it’s like to live in Asia’s largest slum.

Directed by Steve Baker, the film takes place in Dharavi, Mumbai — which was also the setting for the Academy Award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire.

Much more than a slum, this mini-city bustles with industry, culture, and dreams. The Real Slumdogs, an ITVS International film, aims to show the true faces of Dharavi by talking to the people who live and work everyday of their lives in the slum and struggle to survive in a community that defies expectations.

You’ve seen the Hollywood version; now meet the real slumdogs.

Learn more about the broadcast by visiting the National Geographic website >>

Tags: documentary, India, ITVS, Mumbai, National Geographic, PBS, slumdog, Slumdog Millionaire

JOURNALS OF A WILY SCHOOL Premiering Tonight on Independent Lens

“An especially colorful episode of Independent Lens travels to Kolkata, India––a city teeming with pickpockets––to present a portrait of a young thief every bit as engaging as Charles Dickens’ Artful Dodger.”
- The Week

Forget Slumdog Millionaire––here’s the real-life story of survival on the streets of India. Follow Azad, a young pickpocket, who pushes his limits only to get caught by the police. In an effort to crack down on more serious crime, the police offer Azad a full pardon. But there’s a catch––he must turn in his fellow grifters. Will he collaborate or risk it all for life on the streets?

JOURNALS OF A WILY SCHOOL premieres tonight, Oct. 27, at 10:00 PM on Independent Lens on PBS (check local listings).

Tags: India, pickpocket, Slumdog Millionaire, urban life

Inside Indies: Filmmaker Marjan Tehrani Discusses Favorite Films

We recently caught up with ITVS-funded filmmaker Marjan Tehrani (ARUSI PERSIAN WEDDING, P-STAR RISING) to talk about her favorite films and how they’ve influenced her style of filmmaking. Check out her top favorites below and tell us what you think.

What are your three favorite films of all-time and why?

1. Salesman by the Maysles brothers is one of my all-time favorites! I love this film because you truly feel like you are right there with these salesman as they go door to door and live on the road away from their families. The cinematography is amazing and the pace of the editing is well done. The Maysles have definitely influenced my style of filmmaking and has inspired me to follow in the style of direct cinema (cinema verité).

2. When We Were Kings is another classic documentary that has taught me so much about the craft of filmmaking. It is entertaining like docs should be! It has incredible storytelling with a great arc and footage that is so special and unique. This story and footage is something that I think any filmmaker would love to get their hands on.

3. Amores Perros –– I love this style of filmmaking that Alejandro González Iñárritu has brought to American Cinema. Other films that I greatly appreciate like Traffic have also used this storytelling method of interweaving different plots to tell a riveting and though provoking story. I hope to make a fiction film one day that has complex layers such as this film to make people think but also allow them to enjoy their movie experience.

What is your favorite film you’ve seen recently and why?

I would have to agree (that is with the million awards that this film received!) that Slumdog Millionaire is one of the best films I have seen recently. Danny Boyle did an amazing job directing this film. The casting was brilliant with the children and the the backdrop of India was exciting to see. I was on the edge of my seat through the whole film and I loved the game show story line. I am also a sucker for love stories and this was a good one.

See other filmmakers favorite films in the latest edition of Inside Indies >>

Tags: Amores Perros, film resources, filmmakers, Maysles, Slumdog Millionaire