An early trailer for the documentary-in-progress by V.R. Ferose and Doug Roland
About this project
When V.R. Ferose, author and head of SAP Academy for Engineering, visits a new place, he has a tradition. From Tokyo to Dubai, “one of the first things I do is check out the independent bookstore,” he says, adding that he can tell a lot about a country based on its bestseller list. “It’s basically a reflection of the conversation that people are having … What is a priority for them?”
As soon as Ferose walked into Kepler’s, he knew this place was extraordinary. “It stood for community, it stood for a larger good—and it continues to do that,” Ferose explains. Since then, Ferose has attended countless author’s events and booked Kepler’s speakers at SAP. The affection is mutual and Kepler’s carries Ferose’s books. One of his most recent, The Invisible Majority, explores the resilience of “India’s abled disabled” and includes a foreword from the Dalai Lama.
His most recent collaboration with Kepler’s—and with Oscar-nominated director Doug Roland—is a documentary film titled Reimagining Independent Bookstores. “All the documentaries that I have seen about bookstores have been looking backwards. They are seeing bookstores from the lens of nostalgia … I wanted to turn that around and say, ‘What does a future bookstore look like?’” Ferose explains. Naturally, Kepler’s was his first filming location.
If anything competes with Ferose’s love of books, it’s signed books. As a serious collector—with signatures from Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi and the last 11 presidents—many of Ferose’s 3,000 autographed copies come from his favorite Menlo Park bookstore. “My wife is not amused that I’m using all the wardrobes to keep books,” he chuckles.
– from “The Little Bookstore That Could” in Punch Magazine
Yet another investment project looks at bookselling through a documentary lens. VR Ferose, senior v-p and head of SAP Academy for Engineering in Palo Alto, Calif., as well as the founder of the Bangalore-based India Inclusion Foundation for people with disabilities, met filmmaker Doug Roland when he screened Roland’s 2019 film Feeling Through at the Bangalore International Short Film Festival. Ferose, who believes that print books and browsable bookstores must be sustained in a hyperdigital world, wanted to make a film about the challenges facing independent booksellers. He and Roland began planning a documentary.
“As of today I haven’t found a business model for the survival of a bookstore, unless you are extremely wealthy,” Ferose said. “What is a business model for bookstores of the future?” He hopes the documentary gives bibliophiles a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a bookselling industry that is often romanticized in films and the media.
“You’ll find profiles on local bookstores, but it’s surprisingly a space where there aren’t a ton of documentaries,” Roland said. “Reading is such a solo endeavor, so unless you’re someone who frequents events at stores, or are part of a community of book lovers, you might not understand bookselling.” He finds the diverse perspectives of authors, bookstore owners, and publishers eye-opening: “When you’re working on a new project, it definitely changes the way you see the world. Now, when I’m driving around L.A., I’m pulling over and walking into bookstores I’m not familiar with.”
– from “Expanding the Reimagining Bookstores Campaign”
Publisher’s Weekly, May 19, 2023
About the producers
Doug Roland is an Oscar-nominated director for his film Feeling Through, which is the first film to star a DeafBlind actor. Featured on The Nightly News with Lester Holt, The Daily Show, in The New York Times, and LA Times and winner of over 160+ film festival awards, Feeling Through is executive produced by Oscar winner Marlee Matlin and was made in partnership with Helen Keller National Center. Doug has used the film to create accessible screening events and speak at conferences, institutions, and schools around the world about collaborative, inclusive storytelling.
Doug produced the short documentary, Barefoot Empress, which is executive produced by Dr. Deepak Chopra and directed by Michelin star chef and humanitarian, Vikas Khanna. They have used the film to raise funds in service of providing high quality education for girls in underserved communities across India. To date, Barefoot Empress has helped rehabilitate 18 classrooms in India.
Doug’s short film Jada became a viral sensation with over 25 million views on YouTube. He produced the feature film Life Hack which won 16 festival awards, including Best Independent Feature at the Cleveland International Film Festival. He studied film at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and FAMU in Prague.