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"blending activism and filmmaking"
anand
patwardhan

 

 

 


Films by Community Media Activist Stalin. K. from Drishti Media Collective

Stalin K. is one of the founders of the Drishti Media Collective and is a key spokesperson for the movement to democratize India's airwaves.

Stalin K. will screen his films "Gujarat- A Work in Progress" and "Lesser Humans/Venth Chetha", and speak about his work as an activist in the areas of literacy, mass popular education and women's empowerment.

He will also discuss his work with "Video Volunteers" and the role of community media in empowering people to be partners in the development process and in the struggle for social justice. Specifically, he will discuss his groundbreaking work in community radio that facilitated social change by enabling ordinary citizens to demand accountability from the government.


Lesser Humans/Venth Chetha
(59 minutes. Gujarati with English Sub-titles. 1998)

" Must see... a film like this is made for, and should be seen by, South Asian audience everywhere. "
- Mari Marcel Thekaekara, Himal Magazine

50 years of Independence have not changed the lives of the Bhangis in Gujarat, who even today continue the profession prescribed to them by the caste system - manually disposing human excreta. This film investigates the factors responsible for the continuance of this often banned inhuman practice.

  • Excellence Award, Earth Vision Film Festival, Tokyo, 1999
  • Best Film, New Delhi Video Festival, 1999
  • Silver Conch, 5th Mumbai International Film Festival, 1998
  • Special Mention, Amnesty International Film Festival, Amsterdam, 1998
  • San Francisco International Film Festival, 1998
  • Sakshi Film Festival, Bangalore, 1998
  • Prakriti Film Festival, Pune, 1999
  • Cinema du Reel, Paris, 1999
  • 14th Munich International Documentary Film Festival, 1999
  • 1st International Human Rights Film Festival, Nuremberg, 1999
  • Panchgani Human Rights Film Festival, India, 2000
  • Zanzibar International Film Festival, Tanzania, 2001
  • Another World Film Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2003

Produced by Drishti Media Collective. Presented by Navsarjan Trust, Ahmedabad


Gujarat- A Work in Progress
(35 minutes. Hindi, Gujarati with English Sub-titles. 2002)

This film through interviews with survivors reconstructs the systematic carnage unleashed on the minorities in Ahmedabad from 28th February 2002 onwards. The film is a work in progress and was put together to be submitted to the National Human Rights Commission when it first visited Gujarat in the third week of March 2002. This was the first film to be made on the state sponsored carnage and many independent film-makers have used clips from the over the 100 hours of footage he filmed. Produced by Drishti Media Collective.


The Drishti Media Collective not only documents people's struggles, but also actively engages communities in the documentation of their struggles. The collective helps communities to use media as a means to articulate their resistance to structures of oppression, to communicate an alternative vision, to put forth their dreams and aspirations.

Drishti Media Collective
103, Anand Hari Tower
New Sandesh Press Road
Bodakdev, Ahmedabad 380054
Tel: 91-79-6851235 and 91-79-6851437
Email: drishtiad1@sancharnet.in


Thurs, Nov. 17th, 6 p.m.
Palo Alto

Stanford University
Building 200, Room 002,
History Corner, 450 Serra Mall,
Directions

Fri, Nov. 18, 6 p.m.
Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
2040 Valley Life Sciences Building
Directions


Event is FREE & Open to the public
Limited seats, arrive early to ensure your seating. Wheelchair accessible.

Co-sponsored by:

The Asian Religions & Cultures Initiative (ARC) / India, Stanford Univ.

Department of Religious Studies
Stanford Univ.

Shorenstein Asia/Pacific Research Center at the Institute of International Studies,
Stanford Univ.

Center for South Asian Studies
UC Berkeley

Film Studies Program
UC Berkeley

Association for India's Development (AID) Bay Area

Friends of South Asia

EKTA

Narika

South Asian Law Students Association
UC Berkeley

Indian Muslim Council-USA

Townsend Center Working Group on
Muslim Identities & Cultures
UC Berkeley

We thank the Singh Foundation for their assistance with Stalin.K's visit



   
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