Many a splendoured film
|
The recently concluded Tri Continental Film Festival explored various themes including the war on terror, political movements, women and children in conflict situations, homosexuality and genocide
|
CONFLICT SITUATIONS Leila Khalid Hijacker is the candid story of 24-year-old Leila Khalid, the first woman hijacker
The third edition of the Tri Continental Film Festival 2007, organised by Breakthrough (an International human rights organisation), was held at the Alliance Francaise last week. The festival showcased 24 award-winning contemporary Human Rights films from the global South exploring various themes including the war on terror, political movements, women and children in conflict situations, homosexuality and genocide.
The first movie screened was Rafaelle Brunetti's Mitumba-The Second Hand Road. It narrates the journey of a second-hand t-shirt from a young football fan in Hamburg to another in Tanzania. The Immigrant directed by John Sheedy, David Eckenrode and John Eckenrode examines the Mexican-American border crisis through a young Mexican migrant. Paromita Vohra's Q2P is about people who get into a "queue to pee" — a film on Mumbai's underprivileged. Their lives are plagued by social issues like inequality in gender, class and caste, lack of space and urban development. City of Guilt by Robin Barnwell and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is built around the harrowing lives of Filipino women. In a desperate measure to avoid large families, they resort to illegal abortions and contraceptives although they are considered taboo. Lina Makboul's widely acclaimed film Leila Khalid Hijacker is the candid story of 24-year-old Leila Khalid, the first woman hijacker who is seen as a freedom fighter (for the liberation of Palestinian women) to some, and as a terrorist to others. The day closed with Outlawed: Extraordinary Rendition, Torture and Disappearances in the 'War on Terror' by Witness, a powerful portrayal of the lives of two men subjected to rendition, secret detention and torture by the US government working with various worldwide organizations post-9/11. Jennifer Wager's Venezuela Rising, screened on the second day, follows Gladys Bolivar, an elderly woman and her compatriots over four days during a huge public referendum to decide whether Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frais will continue in office. The movie's highlight is the depiction of the active participation of women young and old campaigning and illustrating their passionate interest in political issues. David Deri's Say Amen is a warm, funny and heartrending documentary as he turns the camera on himself to take his audience through a delicate chapter in his life, where he deals with staying true to himself and coming out to his orthodox Jewish parents about his homosexuality.
Sunday saw seven movies, four of which were exceptional. First Lesson in Peace directed by leftist Yoram Honig is a letter in the form of a film to his six-year-old daughter Michal about to start school at Neveh-Shalom (The Oasis of Peace), the first bilingual Hebrew and Arabic school in Israel although there is opposition from Michal's Zionist grandfather and uncle.
The film beautifully outlines the closeness between the immediate and extended family, between children of different races, and between the teachers and the taught, whilst homebound to a West Asian country stricken by political conflict. It makes one wonder about the non-existent tolerance levels of people in our peaceful city.
The multiple-award winning film Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Romeo Dallaire directed by Peter Raymont is an expedition to bring to the world through celluloid the most horrific genocide in Rwanda in 1994. The film bluntly exposes the cowardice of the global community and its betrayal towards the people of Rwanda.
Thomas Wartmann's Between the Lines: India's Third Gender, which follows photographer Anita Khemka in Mumbai as she explores the vibrant yet struggling hijra communities, discussing their matriarchal surrogate families, castration ceremonies, thoughts about sexuality and relationships and the challenges of overcoming economic dependence on begging and prostitution.
This film is uniquely engaging because of the upfront attitude and self-pride nurtured by this gender.
The Film Festival comes a full circle to return to the roots of human rights cinema with the anti-war classic, Hearts and Minds.
Awarded Best Documentary by the Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award and controversial Academy Award winner for Best Documentary in 1974, Peter Davis' landmark documentary unflinchingly confronts the United States' involvement in Vietnam.
ASHEEMA NAGHNOOR
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
