Children’s Day Out

The weekly screenings at the Films Division every Saturday,without fail,have been one of the good things that has happened to film lovers in Mumbai this year. The films that are screened include rare,old films — Hunterwali Ki Beti — dug out from the FD archives or new,experimental documentaries — Rangbhoomi — that don’t get a theatrical release. These screenings are curated with a weekly theme,and they are also open-to-all. The organisation’s last screening this year will end with children’s films,in collaboration with the Children’s Film Society of India (CFSI). The films,Kedar Sharma’s 1957 black and white,short film Bachchon Se Baatein and Batul Mukhtiar’s feature film Kaphal made this year,in a way encompasses CFSI’s journey as a pioneering institute involved with making children’s films in India. The latter won the Golden Elephant Award for the best film at the recently concluded CFSI’s International Children’s Film Festival held in Hyderabad. Set in a small village,the flick explores the relationship between children and nature. (Bachchon Se Baatein shows Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru engaging with a group of children). The screenings will take place this Saturday at the FD’s Pedder Road quarters at 4 pm.

mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com