Saturday, May 2, 2009, 10am to 1pm & 4pm to 9pm, at Pune Patrakar Bhawan,
193 Navipeth, Near Gaanjwe Chowk, Pune 411 030
Human Rights in Frames
A Festival of Documentary Films on Human Rights
‘Human Rights in Frames’ is curated by Breakthrough – a Delhi-based non-profit
organization which works on human rights issues and is active in India and USA.
Screenings will be followed by a moderated discussion by Rashmi Dhanwani,
Festival Coordinator, Breakthrough, Mumbai.
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
10am to 1pm:
1) Up The Yangtze
Canada / 2007 / 93 min / English
Yung Chang
Synopsis
A luxury cruise boat motors up the Yangtze navigating the mythic waterway known in China simply as “The River.” The Yangtze is about to be transformed by the biggest hydroelectric dam in history. At the river's edge a young woman says goodbye to her family as the floodwaters rise towards their small homestead. The Three Gorges Dam, a contested symbol of the Chinese economic miracle provides the epic backdrop for Up the Yangtze, a dramatic feature documentary on life inside the 21st century Chinese dream. Chinese-Canadian filmmaker Yung Chang crafts a moving depiction of peasant life, a powerful narrative of contemporary China, and a disquieting glimpse into a future that awaits us all.
2) Undercover in Tibet
U.K / 2008 / 48 min / English
Jezza Neumann
Synopsis
Tibetan exile Tash Despa returns to the homeland he risked his life to escape eleven years ago to carry out secret filming with director Jezz Neumann. Risking imprisonment and deportation, he uncovers evidence of the 'cultural genocide' described by the Dalai Lama. He finds the nomadic way of life being forcefully wiped out as native Tibetans are stripped of their land and livestock and are being resettled in concrete camps. Tash meets victims of arbitrary arrests, detention, torture and disappearances and uncovers evidence of enforced sterilizations on ethnic Tibetan women. He sees for himself the impact of the enormous military and police presence in the region, the hunger and hardships endured by many Tibetans and hears warnings of the uprising taking place across the province now.
4pm to 9pm
4pm to 5.30pm
1) War Made Easy
USA / 2007 / 73 min / English
Loretta Alper, Jeremy Earp
Synopsis
Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, War Made Easy exposes a 50- year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged America into one war after another -- from Vietnam to Iraq. The film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W Bush, revealing how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations.
5.30pm to 6.00pm: Discussion
6.00pm to 7.30pm
4) White Light Black Rain
US/Japan / 2007 / 86 min / English / Japanese / Korean
Steven Okazaki
Synopsis
On August 6th and 9th, 1945, two atomic bombs vaporized 210,000 people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Those who survived are called "hibakusha", people exposed to the bomb -- and there are an estimated 200,000 living today. With the presentday threat of nuclear weapons of mass destruction frighteningly real and the world's arsenal capable of repeating the destruction at Hiroshima 400,000 times over, Oscar award-winning filmmaker Steven Okazaki revisits the bombings and shares the stories of the only people to have survived a nuclear attack.
7.30pm to 7.45pm
5) Under Construction
France / 2007 / 10 min / Chinese
Zhenchen Liu
Synopsis
City planners decide to pull down parts of Shangai's old town in order to regenerate the city. Every year more than 100,000 families are forced to leave their homes and move into buildings on the edge of the city. Under Construction is a two and three-dimensional flight across the now destroyed living areas in Shanghai.
7.55pm to 8.40pm
6) Flying Inside My Body
India / 2008 / 35 min / English
Sumit Sharma, Rintu Thomas, Sushmit Ghosh, Ajeeta Chowhan
Synopsis
Flying Inside My Body explores how the form of the body can become a powerful physical language to express dissent over societal norms and conventions. The film is a journey with veteran photographer Sunil Gupta, who has used his art to challenge the stereotypes that define one's body, sexuality and identity. Gupta has spent over 20 years compiling the first photographic chronicle of the gay community in India, while at the same time, exploring his own relationship with his country of origin. The film's lyrical style marries still photography with moving images and text, to unfold an intensely personal narrative that questions the deeply engrained prejudices that we all carry within ourselves.
Day & Date: Saturday, May 2, 2009
Time: 10am to 1pm
4pm to 9pm
Venue: Pune Patrakar Bhawan, 193 Navipeth, Near Gaanjwe Chowk, Pune 411 030
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‘LIVING THE STORY’
5-DAY CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP!
MAY 18 to MAY 22, 09
Open Space invites participation in a 5-day workshop which will integrate the craft and genres of creative writing with field visits, observation exercises and photography to tell and write stories.
The workshop will cover the following aspects:
Day 1 : The stories I know
Orientation. Discussing stories. Inspiration.
Day 2: Looking for that story
Creative writing techniques, genres of creative writing.
Observation. Curiosity. Art of writing--reading and other tools.
Selecting a subject. Resonance. Taking notes. Structure. Narrative.
Voice and style. Writing exercises and more.
Day 3 : Living the Story
Visiting a story. Observation, participation, the obvious and the beautiful.
Drawing upon… Taking notes.
Narrative skills. Building a structure. Rough draft or sketch of the story.
Day 4 : Writing the story or …
Writing. Structure. Narrative. Photo narration sketch. Writing discipline.
Day 5 - Re-visiting the story
Second draft. Editing. Submission.
The workshop will be facilitated by Dipallé Parmar-Haworth (Artist and Writer)
Dipallé writes poetry, children’s fiction, short fiction and articles which have been
published in newspapers and magazines. Having been an award-winning architect
and designer for 17 years, a trained dancer and singer, Dipallé now translates these experiences into visual art and writing. She recently completed an anthology of women’s poetry Dancing Feet & Blisters, Buzz in the Hive and other poems. Laali & Pankhru, a children’s fable is shortly due to release. Presently working on a play Ek Tha Raja – Once Upon a Raja.
Day & Date: Monday, May 18 – Friday, May 22, 2009
Time: 2.30pm to 6.30pm
Venue: Open Space
Certificates of participation will be given to participants on successful completion of the workshop.
Candidates will be shortlisted to the workshop on a first-come-first-served-basis-only!
WORKSHOP
2-DAY CYBER-ACTIVISM WORKSHOP!
The Centre for Communication and Development Studies (CCDS), Pune, which specializes in social change communications and manages India’s leading online resource base on social justice/development issues www.infochangeindia.org, invites participation in a 2-day workshop on Cyber-activism as a tool for generating awareness, advocacy and action through the Internet.
This workshop will be most useful for members of NGOs, campaigns and citizens’ collectives.
The workshop will focus on both on the technical aspects of how to create and use Internet-enabled tools as well as developing a campaign. The workshop will be conducted by journalist and activist Frederick Noronha, a leading advocate for free software/open source, technology and computing issues in India. He is co-founder of BytesForAll, and has been involved with dozens of e-campaigns over the years.
Day & Date: Friday, May 29 – Saturday, May 30, 2009
Time: 2.00pm to 6.00pm
Venue: CCDS - Open Space
Certificates of participation will be given to participants on successful completion of the workshop.
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