[Reader-list] Vikalp at Alliance: The Advocate, Dec 15 , Mumbai

[rohitrellan at aol.in]

VIKALP at ALLIANCE presents

A Special Screening on December 15 to mark Universal Human Rights Month

of

THE ADVOCATE - A documentary by Deepa Dhanraj

The screening will be followed by a discussion with the director and 
crew of the film.

VENUE: Alliance Francaise, Theosophy Hall, New Marine Lines, Mumbai
DATE: Wednesday, December 15
TIME: 6:30 pm

The event is open to all. Please spread the word.


ABOUT THE FILM

THE ADVOCATE
130 min, English

Director: Deepa Dhanraj
Camera: Navroze Contractor
Editor: Jabeen Merchant
Sound recordist: Dileep Subramaniam
Producer: Kalpana Kannabiran

The name K.G. Kannabiran is synonymous with the founding of the human 
rights and civil liberties movement in India.

THE ADVOCATE is partly biographical and partly a history of the times. 
Through first person recollections, anecdotes, archival clippings, 
television news footage and visuals of actual events, it tells a 
riveting story. The film speaks not only of one man's incredible life 
and work, but allows a rare glimpse into the history of an entire 
movement.

Spanning the period from 1968 till 2005, the film also traces a series 
of landmark cases which define Mr. Kannabiran's career as a lawyer,  
exploring in the process how the Indian Constitution must be 
interpreted to uphold the rights of citizens.


EXCERPTS FROM THE ADVOCATE:

"Mr. Kannabiran, these naxalites who want to overthrow the government 
and the Constitution, why should they seek protection under the 
Constitution?" Then I told the judge, "Sir, when such matters come 
before this court, it is not their values which are on trial, but your 
values. Your Constitution is on trial. You write in the Constitution 
that people who don't believe in it are not entitled to protection. 
That's the end of it. So long as you say that notwithstanding their 
views they are entitled to rights and protection under the 
Constitution, it is your values which are always on trial."

- K. G. Kannabiran


"Indira Gandhi has declared a state of Emergency and I've just been 
arrested, so tell Kannabiran as soon as he comes home." Every night, 
around midnight, there would be calls from people you knew who had been 
arrested. And Kanna would take it very quietly, he would go the next 
day and he would be arguing. I asked him, "Every single person who has 
been arrested during the Emergency has rung up here, and you have gone 
and filed a habaeus corpus for them. When you are arrested, who should 
I approach?" He couldn't think of a name. People stopped wishing him, 
stopped talking to him. People were afraid of being seen talking to him.

- Vasanth Kannabiran, feminist writer and activist


For the past 35 years, wherever there have been revolutionary 
movements, when people were afraid to associate with naxalites, or even 
to mention them, in those circumstances, he continuously defended their 
politics. Not only that, he criticized their mistakes fearlessly. He 
always speaks his mind. If he gets emotional, he doesn't spare anyone.

- Gadar, revolutionary poet and performer


VENUE: Alliance Francaise, Theosophy Hall, New Marine Lines, Mumbai
DATE: Wednesday, December 15
TIME: 6:30 pm

The event is open to all. Please spread the word