The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Floored by a hail of mature questions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 16, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Floored by a hail of mature questions

Staff Reporter

Film-makers search for answers at open forum on "Importance of children's film festivals and their relevance"

ALL SMILES: Koneru Humpy, M. Satyanarayana Rao, Nafisa Ali and others at the open forum in Hyderabad on Tuesday. - Photo: Satish H.

HYDERABAD: A few questions posed by child delegates at the open forum on `Importance of children's film festivals and their relevance' held on the sidelines of the ongoing 14th International Children's Film Festival -2005 on Tuesday left film-makers grappling for answers.

"Is it essential to show intimacy between child artistes of the opposite sex? Will not their tender minds get affected?" asked one delegate.

"Why violence was glorified through heroes who play terrorists and naxals?" asked another. Yet another delegate from Hyderabad Public School was concerned about how child artistes balance education with work.

Satish Bhandarkar, Chief Executive Officer of the Children's Film Society of India and Director of the festival, explained that such events help us learn "how people deal with their day-to-day problems" in different parts of the world. Such festivals were also an opportunity for film-makers to peep into the minds of their audience.

M. Satyanarayana Rao, Minister for Sports, Culture and Cinematography, inaugurated the open forum.

Rules flouted

Bernd Neuburger, an Austrian film-maker, lamented that though there were rules to limit certain type of cinema to a certain age, they were flouted. And, many agreed that violence was an integral part of life and had thus a place to show where the problem really lay.

"Violence is a integral part of life. Why blame only film-makers," countered Mr. Bhandarkar, citing Mahabharata and crusades as timeless examples of violence.

Bernd Sahling, film-maker from Germany, felt that as a part of the story violence was justified, but not senseless violence.

As far as balancing education with film shooting was concerned, Mr. Neuburger felt that working in a film was an experience by itself. A special tutor helped child artistes in between shoots to catch up with academic learning, he added.

Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh State Film, TV and Theatre Development Corporation Adisheshagiri Rao released a booklet on the Children's Film Society of Andhra Pradesh.

Special guest Koneru Hampi was happy to see some of the movies along with children. She said: "Apart from entertainment, films contained moral messages too."

Interactive session

The Jalavihar at Necklace Road organised an interactive and educative session with 800 students of Oakridge School for promotion and preservation of nature, environment and eradication of pollution. The session was organised as part of the Children's Day celebrations.

The children took an oath that they would maintain nature and environment as desired by Jawaharlal Nehru.

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