
Meera Darji
Lecturer in Media Production
Meera Darji is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and lecturer at ̽»¨Ö±²¥.ÌýHer independent documentary films have been awarded at international film festivals and recent experimental films have been exhibited at various exhibitions.
Biography
I am a Lecturer in BA Media Production and a filmmaker and visual artist. My practice-based research focuses on investigating cinema verité techniques to present a more inclusive, and therefore, more ‘authentic’ voice in documentary practice. I experiment with ethno-sensory practice combined with immersive technologies to tell real stories of marginalised communities in India. I would like my practice to extend by applying these methods and placing these films in sensorial environments.Ìý
Academic expertise
I have over 10 years’ experience working as a Lecturer in Media Production courses and various institutions. This includes module development and leading. I have practice-based experience with my own productions and have carried out fieldwork. I am a cinematographer and editor and relay my practice-skills to the classroom.
My independent films have been awarded at international film festivals and experimental films have been presented at various exhibitions. These includeÌýTransindia: The story of India’s HijrasÌýwon the Royal Television Society Award for Best Factual in the Midlands, UK. I also won Best Short Documentary at the Kashish Mumbai LGBT Festival in India and I was also nominated for the Sky Atlantic Grierson Award. I am an alumni of the Grierson DocLab in association with Bertha DocHouse as well as a One World Media fellow. ÌýÌý
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My current practice-based output that I am working on isÌýMajoor 9195, a portrait on Indian female construction workers in India. This will be my first feature documentary.
Studying your subjectÌý
‘Making a film isn't finding the answer to a question; it's trying to capture life as it is.’ÌýThis quote from Documentarian Albert MayslesÌýhas stayed with me since and I am keen to investigate the concept of truth in documentary cinema. There is so much exciting new technology, spaces and places that I would like to explore within my practice and teaching.