BIOGRAPHY AND FILMOGRAPHY (Ramrooch Krishnaduth)
I am Mr Ramrooch Krishnaduth, a Mauritian citizenship, now 66 years of age, born in a thatched house in a very poor family of 9 members comprising of father, mother, three brothers and 3 sisters, I being the eldest son. Though my father was a laborer, I was determined to learn. As from my childhood, I had an inclination towards art and drawings and I used to get small gifts from my teachers for my art works. With very much difficulty I learnt up to School certificate and join my first job as Office Clerk in the Tea Development Authority in the year 1975. Three years after I got the job of School Clerk in the Ministry of Education and twenty years later I was appointed Usher in a State Secondary School.
But I was inspired towards photography at the age of 12 years when I went to Grand Bassin for the first time on foot with my small kanwar on my shoulder. So to keep this event as a souvenir my father called for a photographer to take a family photos. I was so much attracted by his camera (a twin reflex Minolta) and I thought when could I get such a camera in my life. But to buy a camera in those days was almost impossible for me regarding my situation.
In the year 1967 I went to my uncle’s place at Mahebourg to attend a prayer where I noticed a small camera thrown upon a cupboard. Because it was a damaged one, my uncle gave it to me. It was a Meikkai. First of all collected some money while working in the sugarcane field and bought a roll of film Agfa 120. I took some snap shots but the result was not good. The photographer told me that light is penetrating somewhere in the camera. As I had no enough money to get it repaired I myself found the fault and repaired it. After some savings I bought another roll of film and took some pictures. After printing the photos, the photographer himself did not believe his eyes of the result. So he showed me further ways how to manipulate the camera.
Then began my parcourt in the field of pictures. During school picnics I used to take photos of my teachers and friends who contributed for the films and printing. Then, one of my teachers gifted me a book “Photography Made Simple” which helped me immensely in the field of photography.
Soon I became a renown photographer in my locality when I was still 13 years old. I started taking black and white photos in engagements, weddings etc.. and with the little money which I got, I improvised a dark room in my thatched house in which I could print my own photos with my developer LPL 400. Then came the era of colour prints which boosted me almost up as I got changing my cameras, living updated. My last camera was A Richot KR super 10.
In the year 1983 I turned over a new leaf. I got the opportunity to buy video Recorder Fergusson and a camera JVC with which by using my photographic experiences I excelled up in videography and in a very short time I became a very popular videographer.In the year 1995 The Mauritius Film Development Corporation launched its first Elementary Cinema course and I was the first student under the group Cinex 1 to follow this course.
As for our assessment projects, I made some short films on an experimental basis and those films were "Mecanicien", Then came “Tamby Marchand Pistache, "MareJanon", Marchand Ambulant", "Exploit", "Le Gardien", and "L'enfantMillenaire". All these film were made on VHS but with a poor quality picture. I had no other choice for at that time the only affordable camera was that of VHS.
In the years 2010 and 2011 I successfully completed courses in Scriptwriting Level 1 and Film Direction Essentials respectively. Encouraged with enthusiasm, I toiled to buy a rather good camera and I realized some nice documentary films such as " Catamaran", "La Coupe", Passion D'un Prof", "Phookni (Pub)", " Marriage Examplaire", "Mo MazineToi (Video Clip)", " Moka Flacq District Council Environment Award" , " Zakaat", " My Country, My Pride, My Mauritius" and" Le Cavadee a l'ile Maurice".
I have been honored with first prize for my very short film "Phookni" during a short film competition 2007 " Make Your Own Tv Ad" organized by Amadeus. The video clips "La Coupe" was selected and played during the Festival International de courts metrages by Centre Charles Baudelaire. "Marriage Examplaire" and “La coupe” were being selected and played during the Festival International des Film Creoles in Seychelles.
In the year 2017 I participated In the Short film competition organized by the National Heritage Fund and I was awarded 4th prize for my film “TOUR MARTELLO” and in the following year (2018) I participated again for the same competition as for title “The contribution of our Heritage in the building of Mauritius 1968 – 2018” in the context of the 50th Independence anniversary of Mauritius and I was awarded 2nd prize for my film “ Hamni Ke Pehchan”. I also participated in the Anti corruption short Film competition , my film entitle “Ar Nu Non”
In the year 2019 I was awarded 2nd prize again for my film “Sanskar” which I participated in the 7 days challenge short film competition in 2018 equally. I also participated in the Bhojpuri Short Film competition 2019 entitled “ Param Para” and I was awarded 5th prize and equally 5th prize for my participation in I am Better short film competition 2019 for my film “Parishram ke Phal”.
I participated in several short film competition 2020 but the award ceremony are pending due to Covid 19 pandemic. In the mean time this year in 2021, I took part in several International Film Festivals and I got Best Gully Film Maker Award for my film “ Sanskaar”. Certificate of Excellence in Creative Shorts 2021, Special Jury Award Foreign Short Film 1st place in Ideal International film festival 2021. In Phare International Film Festival I got Honorable Mention for for the same film and for my film “Le Poque Margoze” (Ancient Time) it was selected, nominated and screen in Mcine cinema hall at Caudan Water Front Port Louis on 16th December 2021.
On the 4th of February 2022 I was awarded special Jury Award for my film “Koruption Non!” organized by ICAC and was screen on the MBC live on channel 3 on that day. Now being the age of 66 years still going on with future projects.