Keeping the Faith

The inaugural edition of the contest,organised by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation based in London,was part of a worldwide exercise involving entries from 12 countries from the Middle East,Europe and Asia,across age groups ranging from 13 to 25 years . There are two categories — one for children in the age group of under-18 and the other for people between 18-25 years. Out of the 26 shortlisted entries,nine films in the Under 18 category. India has as many as six shortlisted entries,with four in the under-18 category,the highest for any country,and two in the 18-25 category.

Candidates interpreted faith through different incidents like the loss of family,overcoming adversity,personal devotion and hope. The winner from each category will be announced on July 22 at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) venue,London,by British TV presenter Adrian Chiles followed by a screening of their films in the presence of celebrities like Tony Blair,Hugh Jackman,Jet Li and Natalie Portman. The winners will be flown to London to introduce their three-minute films in person,that will be screened in the non-competitive section. “The aim of this competition was to understand what the youth feel about faith. It is the first time something like this is being attempted and depending upon the success of this format we will plan for next year,” says Simi Kher,India representativve of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation.

For R Sangeetha,a 13-year-old from Ahlcon International School,her grandmother represented a symbol of faith. “I have heard stories from my mother how grandma survived paralysis when doctors had given up hope. Due to her will power and faith she was able to pull through,” says Sangeetha,one of the shortlisted candidates. Her three-minute film,Grandma or Godmom,consists of a voice-over by her about her grandmother’s condition with intermittent narratives by family members.

For his entry,Kumar worked on the theme of re-incarnation. “I have always searched for a deeper meaning in trivial daily situations. In Faith is the Question,Faith is the Answer,I wanted to question the idea of birth and rebirth by bringing into focus the importance of faith for a person,” says Kumar,who is one the four shortlisted candidates in the Under 18 category.

Another shortlisted film,The Guide by Ambala-based Shiv Tandan,is an amateur representation of what a guided tour of Jama Masjid is like with trivia and anecdotes on it. This has been shortlisted in the the 18-25 category along with The Path from Kerala.

Students in the under-18 category were assisted by a teacher and they worked in groups of 10-15. After submitting a written pitch about their story,they spent three weeks shooting their films using flip cameras and latest editing software.

Fourteen-year-old Kanishk Alawadi’s True Friend,about a Hindu boy befriending a Muslim despite opposition from his family has been well appreciated. “I have fooled around with the movie maker software earlier. But this time,I was using trendier and professional software for editing my film,” says Ishan Agarwal,a Class XII student of Bal Bharati School,in Delhi’s Pitampura,whose film,Child Rights: A thought in Time,focuses on the plight of ragpickers and child labourers.

Regardless of the results,the students are glad of the opportunity that the competition has offered them.