Film is a medium to express . Some are short while some are long films to which we call ‘ movie’. Many times it happens that some films really touch your heart even if they are not in 100 Crore club. While some high budget and high earning films are just commercial. Apart from business , films should express the grass root issues just like the film ‘MULK’ . This is just another example. There are some short films which I think have a deep understanding of the real issue they are presenting before us. They are appealing . Recently we experienced various films in the market that were literally made to generate a political opinion in the favor or in opposition of a political party or a leader. I do not want to name them. But despite this , there are some short films which pose a question before us and makes us think. I am sharing my thoughts on such three short films and documentaries here .
PERIOD- END OF SENTENCE : (HINDI)
This documentary is directed by Rayka Zehtabchi which won Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film .The complete documentary was shot in Hapur district outside Delhi. Period/ menstruation is still considered as a thing not to discuss. For some it’s just related to females. It is a completely dark area for many of the men and even when they know about it , they choose not to talk about it. In rural areas women still cannot go to temples during their menstrual cycle and are forced to sit in a corner of the house as if they have got impure . Why do people differentiate among the blood which comes from the same body but through different parts ? it is STILL RED. This discrimination relates much with untouchability because it is also based on the notion of pure and impure. Rayka has rightly captured all the things in this documentary. She interviewed many women and men of different ages and asked them about periods and Sanitary pads. Some girls said ” It’s BAD blood”. Some boys said ” It’s DISEASE”. It was awkward for many to speak or share something on this issue. The documentary also covers the silent PAD-REVOLUTION which has started in Hapur through the local Self Help Group. Many women in this group are manufacturing pads with the help of machines inspired by the PAD MAN Arunachalam Muruganantham. They think that most women find it hard to purchase pads from shops especially when men are around them. To eliminate this awkward feeling , the SHG is selling door-to-door pads. The dialogue ” NOT ELEPHANT, NOT TIGER. A GIRL IS A GIRL” really touched my heart. This is a documentary everyone should watch. Here’s the link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrm2pD0qofM
PISTULYA : (MARATHI)
This is a short film directed by Nagraj Popatrao Manjule. This film has won a national award in the non feature film category. The film was shot in Karmala Taluka of Solapur district in Maharashtra. Nagraj , who gave “Sairat” to the world, made this film to depict the struggle of a poor rural boy to educate himself. In rural areas , there are still many who cannot afford to go to school even after the RTI act came into action. Many children have to work on someone else farm to feed the family. There are many who wish to go to school just like other children of their age. The character in the film is one such boy (Pistulya) who belongs to a backward caste, desperately wants to go school and study . His late father always wanted him to get educated . But due to the sudden demise of her husband, Pistulya’s mother can’t afford a uniform and books and takes him with her for begging . His mother asks people of their community to teach him theft. Nagraj has amazingly captured the subtle emotions of the child when he resists stealing and also when pistulya runs away by stealing a school uniform . Rural India’s issues are not deliberately expressed or put before the audience but Nagraj has depicted the serious issue of poverty in under privileged people of India. In one scene, the protagonist Pistulya is shown standing beside a wire fencing , watching the school students praying in the ground. I think this wire fencing has to break and all the children of India should learn and dream of becoming great. The films end with a quote of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule which says
“Lack of education leads to lack of wisdom, which leads to lack of morals, which leads to lack of progress, which leads to lack of money, which leads to oppression of the lower classes. See what state of the society one lack of education can cause “
Here’s the link of the film : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovimYnrk07o
VISUAL POETRY ON THE LIFE OF A LABOR : (HINDI )
This is a visual poetry on the life of a labor based on a poem of Sabir Haka. This is directed by Tirtha Khakhlary and presented by Yogesh Patil. Tirtha and Yogesh are studying at National School of Drama (Tripura). Sabir is an Iranian poet and a construction worker himself. He has depicted the whole life of a labour in a few words . Yogesh thought that this is the perfect time to create something on it. It correlates to the current situation of migrant labours all over the world not only in India. Yogesh himself has worked as a labor in his school days to earn for his family. Sabir says ” He was a worker since my mother carried me in her womb while working and I felt her exhaustion. Her tiredness is still in my body”. This touched me so much to make a craft on it.
Here is the link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8rEN4x4XWc
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