The Humane Side

Speaking more,festival coordinator,Milind Damle says,“The festival which is a joint undertaking of the Government of India (GOI) along with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and FTII will feature a total of 26 films showcased from 13 different participating states. The festival is an offshoot of a Central Government project initiated to highlight issues of the rural population of the states in India.”

The festival titled Festival of Films on Human Development While the main concept for the project began in the year 2006,the films were all gradually produced over a period of four years and were produced by FTII and financed by the UNDP. Speaking about the project Damle says,“This is the first time that we are showcasing these films made mostly by ex-FTII alumni. Every state has its own human development report in which it highlights the issues of progress in field of women empowerment,education,health etc. What we have basically done through the festival is that,we have taken the concept one step further and made films to reach out to the authorities and the people to make them aware of the issues of the people in these places.”

The 26 films highlight issues right from the case of no identities of residents of the Malda district in West Bengal,to the child marriages in Rajasthan,and the issue of scarcity of doctors in the Himachal. Speaking about his film,Bhanga Gara,director Nilanjan Datta says,“My film mainly focuses on the problems of the people of Malda district in WB,which is perpetually devastated by the floods in the river Ganges. As a result of it,the residents are stranded on high ground,with no access to either sides-West Bengal or Jharkhand. And with neither government claiming them to be their own,they are virtually living in no man’s land. My film highlights the plight of these people.” The film,which was shot on location in 2006,has the distinct of winning the national award for the Best Film on Environmental Issues,in 2007.

Damle also says that the main problems faced while making these films was actually highlighting an issue,which really needed the attention of the government. “The whole idea of the festival is to disseminate the issue of human development. The films will be showcased at the main theatre on April 10 and 11,from 7.30 am till 10.30 pm. The films which are mostly of 30 minutes duration are all made in the local languages of the state with English subtitles,” says Damle.

On the issue of making the festival an annual event,Damle says,“As of now this is just a one year event,and there are no such plans,but we are always ready to help the state and the central governments to help highlight issues like these which require a lot of importance and attention.”

Some of the films that are going to be showcased include:

Beendani- Manisha Dwivedi (Hindi)

Kahat He Mitanin- Pankaj Purandare (Chattisgarhi)

We The People- Kiran Ganti (Tamil)