Abhivyakti: Second day ka Manohar Kahani

The second day of Abhivyakti – the 9th Ravi Bharati Bihar Low Cost Videofest – saw animated discussions, questions and answers from the very first session. The sweltering afternoon heat didn’t deter the seminar participants, who countered the heat with ‘cool’ discussions.

[Prof. Shanker Dutt, Chairperson Bihar Sangeet Natak Academy, makes a point. Also in the picture - seated- are Dr Muniba Sami and Ms Neerja Lal]

The mini-seminar ‘Broadcast Yourself’ on citizen journalism featured a selection of films downloaded from the Net with samples from the One world project [Just a piece of cloth], and WAVE enthusing the student audience. ‘Just a Piece of Cloth’ a six minute film on the Goonj project, stirred the young audience. Mughda Singh, a media student, expressed her mixed feelings of shock, sadness and guilt – “I hate to part with my old clothes, and out there, there are thousands of women in need of a simple piece of cloth to lead a more hygienic life. This film is a wake up call to me.”

[A student from Patna Women's College responds to a film]

Pranav Motion Pictures’ Bhagalpuri Silk ki Kahani was an informative documentary on the Tussar silk industry at Bhagalpur in Bihar. The subject was introduced through the ‘eyes’ of a young man invited to Bhagalpur by his friend. The film was appreciated for its informational content, but criticized for its rather ham-handed handling of the docu-drama angle, and the wooden acting of the two characters who playing college going men. The film was produced by the department of Arts and Culture, Governent of Bihar.

Khadaan, a film by Soeb Mohammed, produced by the MGO REAP in Sasaram spoke of the conditions of the people working in the illegal quarries of the area, and filmed through the interwoven narratives of three children. The participants praised the aesthetic beauty of the film. Dr Muniba Sami said that such films remind urban people that horrific conditions continue to be a part of the lives of many children, and prompt us to get involved in social causes. Dr Shanker Dutt said that the pity is that films such as these are confined to festivals.

Manoj Kumar, student, NIOS,  introduces a film at Abhivyakti

Arzoo, the story of a young Muslim woman, post Gujarat Communal Riots of 2002, captivated the audience with its simplicity of narrative and the persona of real life protagonist Sulekha Ali, an ‘ordinary’ girl with extraordinary perception, willpower and the overriding desire to heal the psychological wounds that fascism masquerading as religious bigotry has inflicted on the children of Gujarat. Definitely the most significant and hope-filled documentary of the evening, echoed the young audience.

Still from Arzoo
 “If the film From Hindu to Hindutva shown yesterday left us dismal and depressed, Arzoo fills us with hope, because it shows us that there is a way to heal the rifts, to go beyond ‘religion’ and evolve towards humanism and spirituality,” said a participant.

[Nehal says that if we don't look out, we'll find ourselves sitting in the middle of a Police State]

Paromita Vohra’s Morality TV aur Loving Jehad — Ek Manohar Kahani, raised more than a few hackles, and brought about much confusion and questions. A member of the audience objected to the title of the film, and said that while the film attempted to make a point about issues touching the media, women, and morality, it ended up saying nothing much. Nihal Prasher, a student, said that the film showed how fascism was creeping up all over India, and if we sat still doing nothing, we’d be sitting in the middle of a police state. Yashnashree, a media student from Patna Women’s College said that the film raised questions about the way women and girls continued to be controlled within the patriarchal system. The media and its hunger for TRP over ethics stood exposed, said Sudhir from Advantage Media Academy.

Frank Krishner, summing up the discussions, remarked that the title ‘Loving Jehad’ was based on the ridiculous rumour being spread by the Right Wing in Meerut [as shown in the film] that Muslim boys are being sent out to woo and ‘convert’ Hindu girls to Islam. The pity is that not just the simple-minded, but the media, our so-called guardians of democracy and human rights promote such dangerous folly.

Student films shown were: Where is Kishore? [ Nikhil Titus, Shaira Shetty, Sneha Anand, TISS] The film explored the various spaces in Koliwada, Dharavi through the photographs taken by a young resident named Kishore who attended a photography workshop but did not attend the final workshop of the works. Through these pictures the film tries to put together a child’s image of little fishing village now surrounded by the city. The film was well received, and generated some lively discussion on content, form, and on who Kishore really was!

Banjar Mann [Tanushri, University Of Allahabad] This music video represented the life of those Indian women who struggle for livelihood. Though they perform all the tough tasks, they are always considered less then men. Everything is barren (banjar) for them but even knowing they perform their duties with full dedication. It was widely appreciated.

The film which captivated one and all was 352: Remembering Emergency, [Sanjay Pratap, Ashwani Falnikar, Nandita Thomas, Nikhil Titus TISS]. In the largest democracy, ironically a period of 19 months is missing from public memory. It was during this period that internal emergency was instituted in India. The film was enjoyed by the audience, partly because of the skilful use of collage, cartoons, and images, and more imporatantly for the information that it contained for the younger generation.