The I&B Ministry has denied permission for three documentaries dealing with Rohit Vemula, JNU and Kashmir to be screened at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival – which is scheduled to kick off in Kerala on 16 June. Wondering what the fuss is all about?
Take a look at the short film In the Shade of Fallen Chinar directed by Fazil NC and Shawn Sebastian. A little over 16 minutes, the film documents how a new generation of Kashmiri students are finding their voice in art rather than the gun battles and violence that marked earlier generations. The documentary was shot in June 2016, a month before Hizbul commander Burhan Wani was shot dead, unleashing a fresh wave of violence and protests in the valley.
Watch the film here:
From graphic art to music to a students’ journal - the film shows young Kashmiris finding expression in and talking about life as they see it through art. The movement thrived around a fallen chinar tree - hence the moniker - which evolved into an artists’ forum.
The students, who have been interviewed in the film, too showcase an acute awareness. While a rapper talks about how he channels his rage into music, a photojournalist shares how he has been documenting stories in the strife-ravaged areas. An artist shares how she travels a great distance everyday because this place allows her to breathe and paint.
The film ends on a sombre note pointing towards how the violence post Wani’s death has shut the university and clamped down on the artists’ movement. And that the makers have not been able to establish contact with some of the students featured in the documentary.
It’s ironic that the government feels the need to block a film that actually shows students moving towards art instead of guns. Or is it?
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