“Historically, the experiences of Dalits, erstwhile untouchables, and the lower castes (totalling over half a billion people) in films have been camouflaged by appropriating their voices into a caste-neutral narrative. Oft-repeated incidents of suppressing Dalit voices and Dalit assertion has maintained the cultural hegemony of dominating castes in India. Whenever Dalit characters are presented on screen, it is either to degrade the humanity of the Dalit or term them as despicable characters deserving humiliation. Such casteist gestures have worsened the quality of Dalit cultural life in India, pushing them down to the nadir of humane existence,” the festival says on its website.

The Dalit Film and cultural festival 2019 (DALIFF) has been organised with the intention:

1. To expose to the world the nuances of Dalit life that are buried underneath the popular forms of artistic expressions.
2. To encourage a dialogue on the lack of representation and diversity in the Indian and South Asian film industry on the experiences of Dalit lives.
3. To create solidarity with other oppressed groups tied into a Fourth World project through the intervention of film and other forms of media.

This international Dalit film festival is dedicated to the memory of P. K. Rosy, the legendary first female actor of South India who was a victim of casteist social and cinematic sphere. P. K. Rosy, the pioneer of Indian feminist cinema died in penury, shunned by the public. It is to honor her inspiring legacy and courageous work that the Dalit Film Festival proudly asserts the art of Dalit Cinema and of Dalits in Cinema.

P K Rosy

Twelve films – 6 feature and 6 documentaries, surrounding the lives, struggles for identity and assertion of Dalits will be screened. These films are in Tamil, Hindi, Malyalam, Marathi and even Nepali.

The feature films include: Pariyerum Perumal and Kaala in Tamil; Papilo Buddha in Malyalam; Fandry and Bole India Jai Bhim in Marathi and Masaan in Hindi.

The 6 documentary films are : Kakkoos, a Tamil documentary on the life of manual scavengers;  We Have Not Come Here To Die a documentary on the caste discrimination in educational institutions; Pistulya, a Marathi documentary on struggles of a  young Dalit boy who wants to study; Gandhi, Untouchables and Me on the Dalit protests at JNU; The Battle of Bhima Koregaon a documentary about the 500 Mahar soldiers who joined the British forces and defeated the Peshwa rule in 1818 and the Dalan Series from Nepal on the problems of landless labourers oppressed and abused by the landed castes.

Some prominent guests and invitees for the DALIFF are directors Pa Ranjith; Nagaraj Manjule, Bomakku Murali – social and political activist and also a film maker and Niharika Singh, actress and winner of Femina Miss India Earth.

The new School

DALIFF will be organised at Columbia University on 23^rd February Saturday and in The New School on 24^th February 2019 Sunday, New York.

There is no entry fee for the screenings.

Courtesy: Two Circle
 

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The objective of this petition is to counter such efforts and to advocate the continued screening of films by Anand Patwardhan in the US and abroad. Although the initial recipients of this petition will be the American Museum of Natural History in New York, this petition will continue to be used whenever the screenings of films by Anand Patwardhan come under attack by those who seek to prevent public debate regarding these issues.

We, the undersigned, express our support and solidarity for documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan and his attempts to raise issues of vital concern for those within and outside South Asia. Patwardhan has been making socio–political documentaries for nearly three decades and has received numerous awards worldwide. His films have addressed a vast array of issues affecting peace and prosperity within South Asia — nuclear proliferation, communal politics, religious fanaticism, globalisation, environmental degradation, and caste oppression — and have served to facilitate further public debate and scrutiny regarding these issues.

In this regard, it has come to our attention that various groups and organisations claiming to represent the interests of the Hindu community have launched a campaign to oppose the screening of Patwardhan’s films in the US and abroad as several of his films are very critical of the right- wing Hindu movement in India. We believe that religion and politics should remain open to public debate and scrutiny, and that Patwardhan’s films serve a valuable function in fostering that debate and deserve to be screened.

We, therefore, urge institutions and organizers of film screenings in the US and abroad to resist the efforts by those who wish to silence the debate and to carry on in their efforts to make the films of Anand Patwardhan accessible to the public.

PLEASE SIGN NOW IN SUPPORT OF ANAND PATWARDHAN!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/783684768

Archived from Communalism Combat, January-February 2002 Year 8  No. 75-76, Campaign 3

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