Films from various South Asian countries, in myriad languages and scenarios, address issues such as domestic violence, family woes, social media hatred and homosexuality.
Kriti Film Club and feminist organization Jagori have collaborated to present Beyond Borders: A Feminist Film Festival. The seven-day event, which began on 3 December, is organized as a tribute to the annual international campaign, 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.
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Aanchal Kapoor, founder of Kriti Films and curator of the festival, said the aim was to build South Asian solidarity and draw support and inspiration from each other. “We have a common language, concerns, problems, and a feminist spirit that binds us together. That’s why we decided to name the festival ‘Beyond Borders’; it indicates that this is what we tell each other about borders.” bring beyond.”
Aanchal Kapoor
A year before the lockdown, she hosted a physical film screening to celebrate South Asian Women’s Day, which falls on November 30. In the absence of physical space during the lockdown, Kriti Film Club turned to online film screenings, which turned out to be a success. Noted women’s rights activist, poet and author, Kamala Bhasin was also one of those who participated.
Kamla Di said.Let’s watch a lot of movies on this pretext!” (I am watching a lot of movies because of this). She asked if I could organize an online film festival, and thus happened last year with South Asian Feminist Film Festival co-curator Reena Mohan,” said Kapoor.
But the unfortunate demise of Kamala Bhasin earlier this year left the team disappointed.
“We talked briefly about the second edition, but Kamala Di suddenly passed away and left us in shock. A few weeks ago, the Jagori people called me and encouraged us to continue what we had started. I had made a commitment as a feminist and decided to fulfill it. With this thought in mind, and in the memory of Kamala Di, this year’s festival was organized,” said Kapoor.
This year, the festival has screened 61 films in 26 different languages by 63 filmmakers from seven South Asian countries. Themes include Personal is Political, Family, Memory and Belonging, Her Stories, and Voice from South Asia. From works by renowned personalities like Baba Azmi and Deblina Majumdar to young independent filmmakers and animation students, the viewing list offers a range of viewing options such as animation, short stories, documentaries and features.
Priya Thuvassery is an independent filmmaker based in New Delhi, whose documentaries city girls Shown in this festival. The 28-minute documentary follows the lives of two girls who move from a small town in Uttar Pradesh to the city of their dreams, Delhi. But for these girls life in a city is not marked by socio-economic gains or a fancy corporate social ladder, but a freedom that the city epitomizes.
Priya Thuvassery
Priya said, “Though it (the film) takes girls and women to the cities and what the city means to them, it becomes a big metaphor and goes beyond a city. The film Umra (One of the Girls) ) saying that the city Is independence.”
While listening to a podcast, filmmaker Prachi Bajani’s attention was drawn to two lines from a Gujarati folk song, which she heard in the background. She went to Deogarh Baria in Dahod, Gujarat in search of the song and those who sang it. Thus began his journey of making purple magic, a film currently playing at the festival.
“My journey took me there to a group of women who were accused of being witches; He had replaced the lyrics of the traditional wedding song with tales of oppression. It drew me into his life and that’s how I started writing this film,” explains Prachi.
One of the biggest attractions of the festival is the collection of elaborate titles from neighboring countries of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Films from these South Asian countries, in myriad languages and scenarios, address issues such as domestic violence, family woes, social media hatred, homosexuality; Many issues that hit home.
Pakistan based filmmaker Anam Abbas’s film shadow (shadow)), co-directed with Fauzia Mirza, is part of the line-up. She says the film was made in a fluid dialogue with the city of Karachi, its architecture and our cast.
Filmmakers Anam Abbas and Fauzia Mirza
As a film producer and co-founder of the Documentary Association of Pakistan and South Asia Doc. Collectively, Anam believes that South Asian feminists have always cooperated in conflicts and nation-states. “It is what feeds us and drives us. Mutual aid pervades feminist work and[in]cinema as well as a medium that it takes to build a village. I think we struggle in the same way.” share whether it is sexual harassment or neo-colonial violence,” she said.
The festival also hosts a series of animation shorts created by the students of Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology. Piyush Jain, one of the students of the institute has made an animated film, Queen Queen) Which completes the inner and outer journey of a woman in a joint family in a short span of 46 seconds. The inspiration for this film came during a class discussion on patriarchy and how it affects their lives, especially their homes.
A scene from ‘The Queen’
“As a filmmaker and an artiste, I feel responsible for the message I give to the world as it affects so many minds. Even though such topics may be unconventional, I urge fellow actors to make more films that talk about important topics like patriarchy, gender roles, domestic violence and inequality,” said the young filmmaker.
Movies at The Beyond Borders: A Feminist Film Festival run through December 10 Here
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