Staff Profile

Dr Geetha Jayaraman known as Geetha J is a writer, director and producer.

Geetha started her professional life as a print journalist in Kerala. After taking her doctorate on "Woman in Indian Narratives", she moved into television where she began making documentaries. She received wide critical acclaim for her very first television documentary, The (A)Miss World, on the clash of thoughts and controversies surrounding the Miss World competition in India in 1996. On acquiring her own video camera, Geetha made her first independent film Woman with a Video Camera in 2005 from Kerala that had hardly any woman filmmaker then. She received the Göteborg International Film Festival’s Film Development Fund for her first feature script A Certain Slant of Light, that was also selected for NFDC’s Directors’ Lab. Her critically acclaimed debut feature fiction is the mesmerizing Malayalam film Run Kalyani (2019), a poetic and realist drama about duties, dreams and desire. This film has travelled to many international festivals and received nine awards.

Geetha has made many independent documentaries often working with filmmaker Ian McDonald as Director. She has produced feature length documentaries including the internationally acclaimed Grierson-nominated Algorithms (2012) about young blind chess players from India by Ian McDonald.

Geetha lectures at Film@CultureLab, Newcastle University.

Select Filmography:

As Director

2019: Run Kalyani | 100 min | India | Feature Fiction 

2014:  Seescapes | 10min | India | Hybrid 

2007:  Akam/Inside | 12min | India | Cine-poem

2006:  A Short Film About Nostalgia | 17min | India | Docu-fiction

2005:  Woman with a Video Camera | 52min | India | Avant-garde

1997:  Women’s Day | 25 Min | India | Malayalam | Asianet | TV Doc

1996:  The (A)Miss World | 23 min x3 | India | Eng | Asianet | TV Doc

As Producer for documentary filmmaker Ian McDonald

2022:  Afternoon with Ants | 5 min | India |

2021:   A Snail’s Pace | 10 min | India |

2021:  The First Year | 88 min | UK |

2019:  Who Is Europe? A film in six acts | 58 min | UK |

2019:  Who Is Europe? A film in six acts | 30 min | UK |

2017:  FREEDOM | 22 min | UK | 4 screen gallery installation

2017:  FREEDOM | 10 min | UK | single screen documentary

2016:   OM:OldMan | 30min | India-UK |

2012:   Algorithms | 96 min | India |

2011:   Justin | 30 min | UK |

2011:  10-11 Pavilion Parade | 15mins | UK |

2010:   Melancholic Constellations: The Art of William Kentridge | 55 min | UK |

2010:  Willem Boshoff: Reflections of a South African Artist | 23 min | UK |

2009:   e4 d4 | 3 min | India |

2008:  Shame | 5 min | UK |

2008:   Out of Our Hands | 9 min | India |

2007:   Brighton Bandits | 40 min | UK |

2007:   Inside the Kalari | 20 min | India |

Research Interests:

Film Practice – documentary practice, documentary installations, experimental shorts

Film Art - Indian Cinema, Music and Dance

Film Theory - Aesthetics, Politics, Gender 

PhD supervision – supervising three full time and one part time research scholar

Teaching Responsibilities:

Introduction to World Cinema: Ideas, Art, Cultures (Module leader, sole delivered)

Filmmaking: Ideas to Screen (Module leader, co-delivered)

Film Practice dissertations (Module leader, supervisor)

• Articles

  • J Geetha. “Bollywood Ending”. Sight & Sound 2003.
  • J Geetha. “The Relevance of Shantaram - a note on the UK Shantaram Film Season". Cinema in India 2002.
  • J Geetha. “The Marginalisation of Romance”. Deep Focus 1998, Vol. III, No. 3 & 4.
  • J Geetha. “Shooting Stars Speak”. Deep Focus 1997, Vol. VII, No. 1.
  • J Geetha. “Marta Meszaros": A note on her films and interview with her during the IFFI 96. Deep Focus 1996, Vol. VI. No. 2 & 3.
  • J Geetha. “Demythifying Paroma”. Deep Focus 1996, Vol. VI.
  • J Geetha. “The Lure of the Exotic: Notes on Khuda Gawah and Henna”. Deep Focus 1993, Vol. V.
  • J Geetha. “Feminism and Cinema”. Deep Focus 1992, Vol. IV, No. 1.
  • J Geetha. “Disciplining the Feminine”. Deep Focus 1992, Vol. IV, No.1.
  • J Geetha. “The Mutating Mother: From Mother India to Ram Lakhan”. Deep Focus 1990, Vol. III, No.3.

• Book Chapter

  • J Geetha. “Cinema and Women’s Liberation”. In: K. Satchidanandan, ed. Stree Padanangal (Women Studies). India: Bodhi Books, 1990.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)

  • J Geetha. “The Indian Hero of the Nineties”. In: International Conference on Europe and South Asia: 500 years. 1998.

• Creative Writing

  • Jayaraman G. Longing | Fiction-Script. 2018. Submitted.

• Digital or Visual Media

  • Jayaraman G. Run Kalyani. India: AkamPuram, 2019. .mp4.
  • McDonald I, Jayaraman G. FREEDOM. Newcastle upon Tyne: The Great North Museum, 2017. Online streaming.
  • Jayaraman G, McDonald I. OM:OldMan. India and UK: AkamPuram, 2016.
  • J Geetha. Seescapes | 10min | India | Hybrid Documentary | Director. India: AkamPuram, 2014.
  • J Geetha. End Game | 100 min | India | Fiction | Writer-Director. Film Bazaar, Goa, India: interventions & AkamPuram, 2014. In Preparation.
  • J Geetha. A Certain Slant of Light | 120 min | India | Fiction | Writer-Director. Directors Lab, NFDC, India: AkamPuram, 2014. In Preparation.
  • J Geetha. Algorithms dir Ian McDonald | 100 min | India | Documentary | Producer. India: AkamPuram, 2012.
  • J Geetha. Justin dir Ian McDonald | 30 min | UK | Documentary | Producer. UK: interventions, 2011.
  • J Geetha. Shame dir Ian McDonald | 5 min | UK | Documentary | Producer. UK: interventions, 2008.
  • J Geetha. Out of Our Hands dir Ian McDonald | 9 min | India | Documentary | Producer. India: AkamPuram, 2008.
  • J Geetha. Inside the Kalari dir Ian McDonald | 20 min | India | Documentary | Producer. India: AkamPuram, 2007.
  • J Geetha. Brighton Bandits dir Ian McDonald | 40 min | UK | Documentary | Producer. UK: interventions, 2007.
  • J Geetha. Akam/Inside | 12 min | India | Cine-poem | Director. India: AkamPuram, 2007.
  • J Geetha. A Short Film About Nostalgia | 17 min | India | Docu-fiction | Director. India: AkamPuram, 2006.
  • J Geetha. Woman with a Video Camera | 52 min | India | Creative Doc | Director. India: AkamPuram, 2005.
  • J Geetha. Women’s Day | 25 Min | Doc | Director-Prodcuer. India: Asianet TV, 1997.
  • J Geetha. The (A)Miss World | 23 min x3 | Director-Producer. India: Asianet TV, 1996.