[Reader-list] VIKALP OPENS! - A Report by Saba Dewan

[Shuddhabrata Sengupta]

This is to follow up on the announcement on the Reader List of Vikalp, the 
film festival organized by CAC, the Campaign Against Censorship, in protest 
against censorship at the MIFF (Mumbai International Film Festival).

Here is a report posted by Saba Dewan, of the CAC, of the first day of Vikalp.

Cheers, and in the hope that every protest from now on, is also a 
celebration, and a festival

Shuddha

----------  Forwarded Message  ----------
Subject: VIKALP OPENS!
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 18:55:22 +0500
From: khel at vsnl.com

CAMPAIGN AGAINST CENSORSHIP

4/02/04


Dear Friends,

The Campaign Against Censorship (CAC) transformed its ongoing protest against
 the Mumbai International Film Festival into a celebration of diversity,
 engaged filmmaking, and a refusal to submit before censorship.

Starting today Vikalp: Films for Freedom will screen 58 films that deal with
 a wide range of issues including the Gujarat carnage, communal politics,
 caste and gender discrimination, sexuality and the politics of development.
 Many of these films have been widely recognized for their political rigour,
 integrity and creative excellence. While a large number of these films were
 `rejected’ by  MIFF, the package includes at least 13 documentaries
 withdrawn from MIFF by their filmmakers in solidarity with the campaign.
 Vikalp has been put together in less than three weeks, entirely through the
 voluntary efforts and resources of Campaign members and supporters of the
 right to freedom of expression

The celebration was inaugurated this morning with a theatrical performance
 based on Saadat Hasan Manto’s, `Safed Jhoot’, performed by Jameel Khan, and
 directed by Naseeruddin Shah for Motley Productions.

Immediately after this, a packed auditorium at the Bhupesh Gupta Bhavan, in
 Prabhadevi, Mumbai watched the opening screening of the festival, the film
 Aamakaar (The Turtle People) directed by Surabhi Sharma, and withdrawn from
 MIFF in protest against the flaws in its selection procedures. Other films
 followed, including Ladies Special by Nidhi Tuli, a joyous description of
 life on the Mumbai suburban train; Girl Song by Vasudha Joshi, about Anjum
 Katyal, singer and poet from Calcutta; and The Vote by Pankaj Rishi Kumar,
 which watches an election unfold in Uttar Pradesh.  The films were screened
 to a large and enthusiastic audience and by 3pm a `house full’ board had to
 be put up outside the auditorium.

Yesterday, on 3rd February 2004, a large number of filmmakers from the
 Campaign Against Censorship (CAC), wore black bands and staged a silent
 protest at the inaugural of the Mumbai International Film Festival, 2004.

In the coming days we will keep you posted about the screening schedules and
 other news from Vikalp.

In Solidarity,
Saba Dewan
On behalf of Campaign Against Censorship

-------------------------------------------------------

-- 
Shuddhabrata Sengupta (Raqs Media Collective)
Sarai
Centre for the Study of Developing Societies
29 Rajpur Road, Delhi 110054
Phone : 91 11 23942199 Ext 305
www.sarai.net