Sixty-four films, targeted at the country's youth, are currently being screened at a film festival in New Delhi. The films highlight themes like communalism, 'destructive' development, globalisation, the environment, women's rights and the oppression of the marginalised
September 2004 has been declared the 'Month of Free Speech' by a forum of over 300 documentary filmmakers currently campaigning for the right to freedom of expression in the Indian capital, New Delhi . They are screening over 60 powerful independent films, most of which have been rejected by the country's censor board for various reasons.
Targeting the young, the independent films are being screened in collaboration with academic departments and student bodies in three of Delhi 's most prestigious universities -- Delhi University , Jamia Milia Islamia and Jawaharlal Nehru University .
Screened in protest against rising government censorship, the festival includes a package of 64 films revolving around the themes of communalism, 'destructive' development, globalisation, the environment, women's rights and the oppression of marginalised communities.
The filmmakers are protesting against India 's 1952 Cinematograph Act that regulates both the production and screening of films in the country. The Act empowers a Central Board of Film Certification to decide whether a film is suitable for restricted or unrestricted viewing. Very often, the board rejects avant-garde films depicting stark social and political realities.
The package of 64 films was drawn from Vikalp (Alternative), a film festival that ran parallel with an International Film Festival held in India 's film capital, Mumbai, in February 2004, called the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF).
Vikalp screened a slew of documentaries rejected by the MIFF as a mark of protest against the mandatory pre-condition of censor certificates for Indian documentaries demanded by India 's ministry of information and broadcasting.
Explains documentary filmmaker Rahul Roy: "It made sense to sustain the movement (that began with the MIFF) and enlarge the debate on censorship that affects not just filmmakers but the common man. A festival such as this widens our platform."
The festival took off this month with a three-day seminar appropriately titled 'Resisting Censorship/Breaking Silences and Celebrating Freedom of Expression' where filmmakers, media persons, activists and students engaged in heated debates on issues ranging from the rights of sex workers, women's movements and the media, to censorship and hate speech, privatisation and censorship and the judiciary.
One of the more controversial documentaries on view at the festival is the poignant A Night of Prophecy by noted documentary filmmaker Amar Kanwar, which depicts songs of protest signifying oppression, pain and broken promises in an unequal society. Explains Kanwar: "It's a journey through different regions of India , which takes a look at its various problems as a nation like the issue of caste, class, poverty, nationality and terrorism."
Kanwar is a recipient of the Golden Conch (best film award) at the 1998 MIFF for his film A Season Outside.
Slamming the censorship law as "extremely draconian", filmmaker Saba Dewan says people should be given the freedom to decide what they want to see. "A handful of people now decide what a nation of million should see. The law was introduced under the colonial regime and is outdated and archaic."
"Political parties have vested interests in preventing the truth from coming out. This was apparent by the fact that any film critical of the government would be rejected," says Kanwar.
Not all the films screened at the festival have been rejected by the censors. The MIFF accepted around 15 of them, but they were withdrawn from the MIFF in a show of solidarity.
Predictably, given their provocative themes, many of the films have triggered violent protests from fundamentalists. For instance, members of the rightwing Hindu Jagran Manch (Hindu Awareness Group) tried to halt the public screening of a bold internationally-acclaimed film called Final Solution in the south Indian city of Bangalore this July.
Final Solution explores the anatomy of hate and violence between the Hindu majority and minority Muslims during the February 2002 riots in the western Indian city of Gujarat .
The Delhi festival has received an overwhelming response from university students. Claims one of the organisers: "People want to see and talk about the films, and college auditoriums are always packed, forcing many enthusiastic viewers to return. We feel that a healthy, social and educational movement has emerged."
Source: www.oneworld.sa , September 22, 2004
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