FILM SCREENING & DISCUSSION |
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Friday, October 6, 6.00pm onwards, at Open Space
Actor-turned-director Amol Palekar brings us the third film in his trilogy on sexuality - 'The Quest'. The film is about the much-debated issue of homosexuality.
Open Space invites you to a discussion of the recently released feature film, ‘The Quest'. The discussion will be moderated by the filmmakers, Amol Palekar and Sandhya Gokhale on the issues raised in the film.
The story revolves around an urban, Maharashtrian couple; the husband is a renowned chef in a five-star hotel and the wife is a successful lawyer. Their happy life is turned upside down when the wife discovers the homosexual relationships of her husband.
To quote the director on the questions he raises in his film, “We consider homosexuality as an indecent, unnatural deviation. It's declared to be immoral, hence illegal. Our gay phobia instigates hatred and violence. Why do we react so vehemently? Is it because ‘their' choices are different from ‘ours', or is it because their sexual preference is not in conformity with that of the majority? ‘Quest' is made with the sincere hope that we would respect mottled identities and alternative folds rather than waging ostracism and condemnation; we would tolerate differences – offer empathy.”
The film is bilingual and is named 'Thaang' in Marathi with a line-up of stars like Mrinal Kulkarni, Rishi Deshpande, Shishir Sharma and Vijaya Mehta in lead roles. The film has been scripted by Sandhya Gokhale, wife of Amol Palekar, who has also worked on the screenplay and dialogue. |
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| FILM FESTIVAL |
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Thursday - Friday, October 19 - 20, 5.30pm – 8.30pm, at Open Space
Congestion. Pollution. Accidents.
This is Pune today!
1.6 lakh vehicles are added to our roads every year.
Will building more roads and flyovers help?
Or will this just mean more vehicles?
More congestion? More pollution? More deaths?
Instead, let's encourage walking and cycling.
And public transport. Really, really, good public transport.
Let's conserve energy, save our heritage, protect our lives.
And leave our children a liveable city.
Pune is rapidly taking on the shape of a sprawling metropolis, where traditional neighbourhoods make way for glass-paneled offices, glitzy malls and swanky multiplexes, symbols of “development”. At the heart of these changes in the urban landscape is the ubiquitous symbol of prosperity, the car. Together with its less glamorous partner, the two-wheeler, it allows the city to spread out into the valleys of the hills that surround Pune.
Thus, the car/scooter and the city fuel each other -- a bigger city, longer commutes, more vehicles, an even bigger city. While Pune's population has quadrupled in the last four decades, this has been far outstripped by the increase in motorisation, which has been hundred-fold, making it one of the most polluted cities in India.
Open Space and the Pune Traffic and Transportation Forum (PTTF) invite you to the screening of 4 documentary films which address issues of urban transport and traffic. The films highlight initiatives taken by citizens in different parts of the world to evolve alternative models of transport systems and their attempts to prevent further environmental degradation of urban spaces. |
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FESTIVAL SCHEDULE |
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Thursday, October 19, 5.30pm – 8.30pm, at Open Space
Critical Chaos: The Urbanisation of Pune (Directed by Huned Contractor, produced by BBC The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI) and the EU, 12 mins)
The film looks at how the city of Pune has changed over the past decade because of rapid and ill-planned urbanisation. Urban planner Vidyadhar Deshpande and noted environmentalist Sujit Patwardhan explain how and why this has occurred and the ways in which Pune's citizens of Pune can reclaim the city.
Contested Streets (Created by Cicala Filmworks, produced by Transportation Alternatives, New York, 57 mins) Contested Streets explores the rich diversity of New York City street life before the introduction of automobiles, showing how New York can emulate other modern cities that have reclaimed their streets as vibrant public spaces. The documentary features recent footage of reclaimed streets in London, Paris and Copenhagen and interviews with well-known residents of the city.
Friday, October 20, 5.30pm – 8.30pm, at Open Space
Interface for Cycling Expertise (15 mins)
Urban and transport planners from Amsterdam, Netherlands and Copenhagen who have been creating cycle-friendly cities by re-thinking mobility and redefining the very function of the "city" have seen some astounding results. Following their example Bogota, Colombia is creating cycle tracks and pedestrian friendly infrastructure.
Friday, October 20, 5.30pm – 8.30pm, at Open Space
U Turn (Directed and produced by BBC Panorama, 40 mins)
Environmentalists are opposing the planned Balbharti-Paud Road, arguing that it will not only destroy what little green space is left in the heart of the city, but is flawed traffic policy as well. Similar battles were witnessed in the United Kingdom in the past, with proposals to increase roadways in answer to the problem of congestion being met with protests. Now the country's urban planners and traffic experts are admitting that just maybe they were wrong.
Screenings will be followed by discussions moderated by members of PTTF. Entry free on a first come first served basis only.
Enter the Photo Essay Contest ‘Liveable Cities'
Pune needs more people travelling in buses, being able walk and cycle safely and curbs on the use of private vehicles. The present reality is quite the opposite -- public transport is difficult to use, it is almost impossible to walk and cycle, while the use of private vehicles is encouraged.
Capture visual examples of this unsustainability in the city, as well as alternative glimpses of sustainable growth and send them to us accompanied by a brief note (150 words or less) describing your entry.
Mail your entries to renu@openspaceindia.org by November 5, 2006. Winning entries will be
decided by a three-judge panel. All entries will be displayed on our website www.openspaceindia.org
For judging purposes, the message conveyed by entries will carry more weight that the technical merit of the photographs.
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| BOOK TASTING |
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Thursday, October 26, 6.00pm – 8.00pm, at Open Space
Open Space invites readers to its monthly Book Tasting to read, exchange and discuss books that have touched them, changed them, validated or helped crystalise their thoughts. The books brought to the evening can range from fiction to non-fiction, children's books, poetry etc.
Book Tasting is like a wine-tasting. Unlike a book club, it gives people a chance to get a taste of what a book is about by listening to an extract from it. In one evening, readers would be introduced to about eight different books, whetting their appetite for more.
Each participant who brings along a book makes a brief introduction to the book and its context, and then reads out a few passages that best illustrate the book's qualities and why it has touched him/her.
Each reading will be followed by a short interaction.
Book Tastings are held once a month and are open to all. The sessions will be moderated by well-known columnist Gauri Dange. |
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Open Space outreach activities
- Regular feature film screenings with the Fergusson College Sociology club
- Regular film screenings with the Symbiosis Arts and Commerce film club
- Regular film screenings with the Fergusson College Psychology dept
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