The Hindu : Karnataka News : `Films for Freedom' stalled

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 30, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

`Films for Freedom' stalled

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JULY 29. The inauguration of the documentary film festival, "Films for Freedom", was disrupted here on Thursday even as two advisory panel members of the Censor Board objected to the screening of films. The panel members said the films were not certified.

The organisers of the festival did not screen "Final Solution", scheduled for the opening, a documentary on the Gujarat riots and the consequent Hindu-Muslim polarisation. An advocate, representing the advisory panel members, charged that screening of an uncensored film was illegal. The panel members had reportedly lodged a complaint with the Jayanagar Police, seeking a ban on the films. The organisers' attempt to go ahead with the screening of "Final Solution" was in vain as the management of the JSS Auditorium, the venue of the film festival, said the film was not cleared by the Censor Board and (that it) could not be shown. However, the other films lined up for the festival would be screened from 10 a.m. on Friday.

Tension

There was tension at the auditorium when the advisory panel advocate sought a ban on the festival and seizure of the film reels by the police. The organisers had also sought police protection. A large posse of policemen was posted at the venue. A journalist was reportedly roughed up by a group of persons, when he pointed out that the film cassettes and reels could not be seized without authorisation from the Censor Board. The police agreed that it was the case.

Unofficial permission?

The organisers had reportedly obtained an unofficial green signal from the Union Government to go ahead with the screenings. A Union Minister was said to have even called up the Censor Board members here to allow screening of the films. The organisers alleged that the attempts to prevent the screenings were instigated by right-wing political groupings.

Later at a panel discussion, filmmakers, Rakesh Sharma and Anand Patwardhan, contended that in documentaries, there was no scope for censorships. Mr. Patwardhan said another form of censorship was the absence of a real distribution network for documentary films in the country.

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