------------------------------------------------------------------------ TRI Continental Film Festival - Dona Paula, Goa, Sep 28 - Oct 2, 2007
http://www.moviesgoa.org/tricontinental/tricon.htm For public viewing. Registration at The International Centre Goa. (Ph: +91-832-2452805 to 10) Online Media Partner: http://www.GOANET.org ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tri-Continental Film Festival opens at The International Centre, Goa By Ameeta Mascarenhas Panaji, September 28, 2007 - The first Tri-Continental Film Festival organized by Moving Images, Breakthrough (New Delhi) and The International Centre, Goa opened today with the showing of two powerful, thought-provoking films set in the turbulent North-West of Asia - 'The Rockstar and the Mullahs' directed by Ruhi Hamid and Angus Macqueen, and 'Return to Kandahar' directed by Nelofar Pazira and Paul Jay. The films were followed by a discussion chaired by Shoaib, a member of the Students Islamic Union of India, who is pursuing a Masters in Sociology at the Goa University. The response from a capacity crowd of delegates, many of whom were students, was very appreciative and the discussion was animated and insightful. 'The Rockstar and the Mullahs' is a film that explores the confusing links between music and religion, through its protagonist Salman Ahmed, lead singer of Junoon, Pakistan's most famous rock band. It ultimately questions the deep contradictions prevailing in modern Pakistani society. In 'Return to Kandahar' Nelofar Pazira returns to Kandahar after 13 years and finds a country so changed by war and political instability so as to make it unrecognizable to her. This dually-charged film brings up issues of the human cost of war as well the perception of the exiled towards their homeland. The discussion began with questioning the objectivity and veracity of the documentary film form in portraying reality. Anuja Ghosalkar felt that, specially in the second film the perspective was very skewed toward a western ethic. Jason Fernandes objected to the demonizing of Islam by the West. Many agreed that we should use these films to look inward at our own society and politics and identify religious intolerance and fundamentalism in India. Sameer Yasir a Kashmiri student of International Relations at the Goa University felt that India is a secular democracy and does not the problems of Islamic States depicted in these films. In 'Return.." The view was also expressed about a certain condescending attitude that many exiles and immigrants from the east returning to their homeland have, that everything is so much better in the west and that the countries they return to are so backward and chaotic. And that the people living in these countries need the help of the west to tell their stories to develop into progressive, tolerant and just societies. Earlier, at a short inaugural ceremony, Anjali D'Souza, Chairperson of Moving Images welcomed the delegates and Anuja Ghosalkar, Program Coordinator of Breakthrough, spoke on how cinema can be a tool of education and advocacy for Human Rights. The ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks by M Rajaretnam, Director, The International Centre, Goa. The films shown at this five-day festival are from the Gold List, which represent the best of Human Rights Cinema from the three continents that form the Global South - Latin America, Africa and Asia, over last three years. The films were selected by a jury including filmmakers, film critics, scholars and artists. (ENDS) Opening day Photos & article at: http://www.goanet.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=951 Goanet A&E http://www.goanet.org
