Introduction to The Outside In

The film looks at the works and processes of two doll makers. Francoise left

the country of her birth 40 years ago to make India her home. Milan studied art but went on to deepen her interest in the work of craftspeople and how it is much more approachable along with being imaginative. The film tries to look at how their doll making speaks to us. The intimacy and care in their practices tell us something about what a simple practice of art can bring to our everyday lives.

About The Filmmaker: Hansa Thapliyal

Hansa Thapliyal is a filmmaker and writer who has worked across fiction and non-fiction

forms. She has worked previously on digital archiving and collaborated on a creative project on early Indian cinema. Lately, her work has begun integrating stop motion and animation, in an attempt to make the screen feel more material. Thapliyal is also a teacher and workshop facilitator, one of which includes her taking a course on documentary filmmaking at PLCSUPVA, Rohtak.

“Narrative language and the material of making are two of my primary interests. I have

worked in various media, writing, film work, video works, teaching, researching early cinema, pursuing these interests. My desire has been to find a language and ways of integrating these seemingly different practices, in ways that are playful and tease out the imagination of the viewer,” she says.