[Reader-list] Censor Board bans documentary

[Jeebesh Bagchi]

From: <actindia at vsnl.com>

As you know, the Censor Board of India recently banned Rakesh Sharma's 
internationally-acclaimed documentary - Final Solution. An online 
petition has been created by Anand Patwardhan to protest against the 
ban. The petition asks Central Government to intervene and revoke the 
ban immediately. As you may already know, under clause 6 and 9 of the 
Cinematograph Act, the Central Government is empowered to overturn any 
decision/ recommendation by the Censor Board.

People who have already signed the petition include Shabana Azmi, 
Nandita Das, Vijay Tendulkar, Shyam Benegal, Javed Akhtar, Aparna Sen, 
Karan Johar, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Farhan Akhtar, Rahul Bose, Vishal 
Bhardwaj, Arundhati Nag, Sanjana Kapoor, MS Sathyu, Lekh Tandon, 
Yogendra Yadav and Teesta Setalvad among others.

Please extend your support by signing the petition online by clicking 
the following link:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/FilmBan/petition.html
Please forward the petition details to people in your mailing list 
asking them to sign and circulate the petition widely.

Final Solution ( India; 2004; Digital Video format - miniDV; 209/148 
minutes).


  Final Solution is a study of the politics of hate. Set in Gujarat
  during the period Feb/March 2002 - July 2003, the film graphically
  documents the changing face of right-wing politics in India through a
  study of the 2002 genocide of Moslems in Gujarat. The film documents
  the Assembly elections held in Gujarat in late 2002 and records in
  detail the exploitation of the Godhra incident (in which 58 Hindus
  were burnt alive) by the right-wing propaganda machinery for electoral
  gains. It studies the situation after the storm and its impact on
  Hindus and Moslems - ghettoisation in cities and villages, segregation
  in schools, the call for economic boycott of Moslems and continuing
  acts of violence more than a year after the carnage. 


  Final Solution is anti-hate/ violence as "those who forget history are
  condemned to relive it".


  Awards :


  Wolfgang Staudte award and  Special  Jury  Award (Netpac), Berlin
  International film  festival.

  Humanitarian Award for Outstanding Documentary, HongKong International
  film festival.

Silver Dhow ( Best Doc category), Zanzibar International film festival


  Special Jury Mention, Munich Dokfest.

Special Award instituted and given by NRIs for a Secular and Harmonious 
India (NRI-SAHI), NY-NJ, USA.


  Festivals :  Berlinale ( International premiere; Feb 2004), HongKong,
  Fribourg,  3 continents filmfest (South Africa), Hot Docs (Canada),
  Vancouver, Zanzibar, Durban, Commonwealth film festival (UK), One
  world filmfest (Prague), Voces Contra el Silencio (Mexico), Istanbul 
  1001fest, Singapore, Flanders (Belgium), World Social Forum (Mumbai;
  Indian premiere), Vikalp (Mumbai filmfest organised by Campaign
  against Censorship), Films for Freedom, Bangalore and several other
  filmfests



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