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"REFLECTIONS: WOMEN IMAGING REALITIES"
The IIC Asia Project -- in collaboration
with the IAWRT India chapter -- celebrated
the vision of women with the Asian Women
Filmmakers festival. It was entitled
"Reflections: Women Imaging Realities".
This is the third festival that the IIC Asia
Project has supported. Given the success of
the event the festival has become a regular
feature in the calendar of the IIC and the
media institutes. This year we received over
55 films from India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan,
Kazakhstan, Canada and USA.
Twenty-two films were curated to cover the
personal, social and political. The films
explored the unique perspectives of women
looking at self, relationships, sexuality
family, traditions, politics and
urbanization and development. Powerful
stories, exploration of forms and personal
expressive styles of filmmakers created a
lot of interest as the films were breaking
boundaries both real and imaginary. There
was humour, sensitive perspectives on the
personal and political. Women filmmakers are
widening the frame. negotiating and
documenting social and political events and
issues of concern bringing in new insights
into the ordinary events, challenging our
beliefs and views .
The opening film, "Madsong" centers around a
woman wanting to plan an extraordinary party
for her lovers return, merging stories in
our heads, reality merges with imagined, the
past with the present, Another film, "Bare"
uses home video films and conversations with
the filmmakers family to explore their
relationship with an alcoholic father. "Rashriya
Kheer and Desi Salad" uses recipes to create
a montage and a playful look at a modern
Indian family as it imagined itself soon
after independence, "Dedicated to Unicorn"
searches through simulated dreams,
reminisces and the imaginary unicorn, "Call
it Slut" portraits a transgender women who
fearlessly takes on patriarchal attitudes
and pokes fun at middle class morality. Many
films take a look at the face of democracy
and its oppressive impact on women, "Six
yards of Democracy"" revisits the gruesome
stampede that took place during the
election, Through this film we see the women
struggle to keep their homes with their
dignity intact, "Their Story’ takes a look
at Jeevan, a primary school teacher and his
family in Assam as it struggles for survival
with nature, government and militants.
"Tales from the Margins" focuses on Irom’s
hunger strike for the last eight years to
repeal AFSPA in Manipur. "Q2P", no place for
women to pee. The toilet becomes a metaphor.
A riddle with many answers about gender,
class and caste, about urban space for
development, an episode from the series,
"Crossing Fires" pushes the frontiers in the
patriarchal society as the female LTTE
cadres protect the Kilinochi district and
are considered equal to any fighting force.
"Live Containers" narrates the stories of
women whose bodies are used to smuggle
heroine across borders, tragic choices,
desperation, and government laws Poverty is
their crime. "Delhi Mumbai Delhi" looks at
Ria, a bar dancer deprived from her work by
the Maharastra Governments ban on girls
dancing in the bar weaves stories of
sexuality and popular culture in a
globalised economy Intimate portraits
raising issues of sexuality and work."
Sharia" focused on Chandralekha and her
indomitable spirit, her contribution to
feminist thought and exploration of women’s
bodies in dance.
Eight of the filmmakers were able to attend
the festival and hold discussions with the
audience The Filmmakers also talked about
the emerging trends and experiences on
making documentaries.
Kavita Joshi made an illustrated
presentation on. "Making Women Visible",
gender sensitising filmmakers on approaches
to filming women. Giti Thadani’s illustrated
talk was on, "Erasure of the Feminine and
New Renewals". Her new videos on exploring
femmine energies generated interest.
Dr. Syeda Hameed , Member Planning
Commission inaugurated the festival and
Shalini Dewan, Head of UN, New Delhi read
the message from the UN Secretary General.
The event was covered widely on television
and magazines.
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