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Cinema and social change

Photo: M. Periasamy

Alika Khosla Associate director, Breakthrough

Associate director of Breakthrough, Alika Khosla says her organisation uses popular culture such as films as a means of education. “It is the best way to get people thinking about human rights.

These documentaries reinforce the democratic values of equality and freedom as well as personal dignity and community empowerment.” So, the Tri Continental Human Rights Film Festival brings images of war, poverty, exploitation and the marginalised and gives a voice to the voiceless.

Created by a group of Latin American filmmakers in Argentina in 2002 to explore links between social struggles and respect for human rights, in their part of the world, the festival later encompassed South Africa and then South Asia.

From being grainy and obscure footage screened as afterthoughts, documentaries have come a long way. “Today, they are engaging; they have a beginning, middle and end and tell a story,” says Alika. "But for the festival, these cutting edge films would never have found their way to India. A section of the festival, called Travelling Screen, takes these award-winning documentaries to smaller cities where it collaborates with universities, cultural institutions, citizens’ groups, and film societies like Konangal to reach the masses, and sparks debates and discussions on human rights issues.” For more details visit Breakthrough’s interactive website

www.breakthrough.tv

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