With you, Without You
The film is about a Catholic Tamil refugee woman and a pawn shop owner, a Sri Lankan man, against the background of the aftermath of the Tamil uprising in northern Sri Lanka. It was released in 2012, and has even featured at a couple of film festivals in India.
When the film was released a few days ago, Theatres in Chennai received anonymous threats over the phone, faced police apathy and reluctance to offer protection and so cancelled the film shows.
As is fast becoming the norm, intolerance has once again been allowed to muzzle freedom of expression...
Now a petition is doing the rounds supplicating Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha to intervene and 'allow ' the film to be screened.
Of course, it's common knowledge that goons with her political patronage are responsible for the threats and intimidation. It's a Sri Lankan Film, so it shouldn't be shown in Tamil Nadu... but can you call Jayalalitha and her ilk racist and still keep your head on your shoulders (literally?) not if you're in the Sambhar state!
So the film fraternity has gone to great lengths to draw Amma's attention to the following facts:
The film is a close collaboration between Prasanna Vithanage and the Indian film fraternity.
The National Award winning editor from the Tamil and Mumbai film industry, Sreekar Prasad has edited the film.
Documentary film maker from Delhi, Rahul Roy is a co-producer.
Anjali Patil from Mumbai has essayed the main role and won the Best Actress award at the International Film Festival of India (2012) held in Goa.
The film is a sensitive portrayal of post war Sri Lanka and the consequences of denial of justice to the Tamil population.
Instead of supporting the widest possible exhibition of this film in India we are today witnessing the opposite and all because some stray people have decided without seeing the film that it is inimical to Tamil interest.
A great irony indeed given the fact that the film is a scathing testimony of the suffering that the war has unleashed.
So what happens next? Will the queen Bee wave her magic wand, or will she look the other way and shrug?
We should be applauding the effort made by Prasanna Vithanage who has braved very difficult circumstances to bring to us a brutally honest account of war, suffering and the miscarriage of justice.
When the film was released a few days ago, Theatres in Chennai received anonymous threats over the phone, faced police apathy and reluctance to offer protection and so cancelled the film shows.
As is fast becoming the norm, intolerance has once again been allowed to muzzle freedom of expression...
Now a petition is doing the rounds supplicating Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha to intervene and 'allow ' the film to be screened.
Of course, it's common knowledge that goons with her political patronage are responsible for the threats and intimidation. It's a Sri Lankan Film, so it shouldn't be shown in Tamil Nadu... but can you call Jayalalitha and her ilk racist and still keep your head on your shoulders (literally?) not if you're in the Sambhar state!
So the film fraternity has gone to great lengths to draw Amma's attention to the following facts:
The film is a close collaboration between Prasanna Vithanage and the Indian film fraternity.
The National Award winning editor from the Tamil and Mumbai film industry, Sreekar Prasad has edited the film.
Documentary film maker from Delhi, Rahul Roy is a co-producer.
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| A scene from the film |
Anjali Patil from Mumbai has essayed the main role and won the Best Actress award at the International Film Festival of India (2012) held in Goa.
The film is a sensitive portrayal of post war Sri Lanka and the consequences of denial of justice to the Tamil population.
Instead of supporting the widest possible exhibition of this film in India we are today witnessing the opposite and all because some stray people have decided without seeing the film that it is inimical to Tamil interest.
A great irony indeed given the fact that the film is a scathing testimony of the suffering that the war has unleashed.
So what happens next? Will the queen Bee wave her magic wand, or will she look the other way and shrug?
We should be applauding the effort made by Prasanna Vithanage who has braved very difficult circumstances to bring to us a brutally honest account of war, suffering and the miscarriage of justice.
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