Interesting. When I put the above piece on different face book groups, I get an information that my face book account is blocked.
On Tue, Jun 13, 2017 at 7:13 PM, KP Sasi <kpsas...@gmail.com> wrote: > On the banning of the I&B ban on films: > > http://www.catchnews.com/entertainment-news/modi-has- > no-respect-for-indian-constitution-directors-react- > to-i-b-film-ban-in-kerala-65026.html > > Modi has no respect for Constitution: Directors react to I&B film ban in > Kerala > Durga M Sengupta > <http://www.catchnews.com/author/durga-m-sengupta-1582.html> | Updated > on: 13 June 2017, 0:32 IST > > <?subject=Modi%20has%20no%20respect%20for%20Constitution:%20Directors%20react%20to%20I&B%20film%20ban%20in%20Kerala&body=https://goo.gl/J9RInQ> > <http://www.catchnews.com/entertainment-news/modi-has-no-respect-for-indian-constitution-directors-react-to-i-b-film-ban-in-kerala-65026.html#commentVuukle> > Two of the three films denied clearance > 0 > SHARES > 0 > SHARES > 0 > COMMENTS > > Starting 16 June, Thiruvananthapuram will host the five-day International > Documentary Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK). For its decade > celebration, the festival has a diverse line-up of over 200 films. But if > the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has its way, this > line-up will be short of three films. > > Three documentaries –* The Unbearable Being of Lightness* (on Dalit > research scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide), *March March March* (which > chronicles student protests at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)), and *In > The Shade of Fallen Chinar* (which tells the story of Kashmiri university > students) – have been denied permission for screening by the I&B Ministry. > > Films that are not granted a Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) > certificate, require this exemption for film festival screenings. > Interestingly, of the 210 films IDSFFK planned to screen this year, 170 > didn't have CBFC certificates. So, why were these three films singled out? > 'There are certain issues mentioned in the guidelines' -- I&B Ministry > > According to the director of I&B film's wing, the films flouted certain > guidelines. “We have certain guidelines available on our website. If > there's a film that doesn't fall under our guidelines, we can't give it > permission,” director Girish Chand Aron tells *Catch*. > > “There are certain issues mentioned in the guidelines, and on the basis of > that, these films have not been allowed exemption,” he adds, choosing to > not elaborate on these “issues”. > Hoping for 'interim relief' > > Shawn Sebastian, who co-directed *In The Shade of Fallen Chinar*, has > never heard of these guidelines. > > “This is the first time I've heard the ministry saying this is outside of > their guidelines. And we were not informed about any guidelines. > > “At a film festival, the selection should ideally be done by the jury. And > we have an eminent jury, and they wouldn't take a film that flouted > ministry guidelines,” he tells *Catch*. > > “So, a screening which has some value, some merit has already happened, > and this is an external overreach beyond that. We are actually fighting > that,” he adds. > > Sebastian has taken the matter to Kerala High Court “for interim relief”, > and since the matter is subjudice, he chooses to not comment on the > proceedings. Instead, he talks about the larger problem of why things like > this happen. > 'These are all attempts to stifle an alternate narrative' -- Shawn > Sebastian > > “If you look at the films, all of them deal with recent developments that > put the government on the back foot. So these are all attempts to stifle an > alternate narrative, so that the ruling dispensation can mould it into a > homogenous narrative. > > “I think the seriousness of the issue lies in the fact that an external > [authority] is coming into a state-level film festival. This is one of the > premier documentary film festivals in the country.” > > Festival director Kamal made a similar observation when the ban was > ordered, terming the situation a “cultural emergency”. To that, Sebastian > says, “We're really glad to get support from the festival committee. Even > Kerala's culture minister asked why should the government get scared when > contemporary issues are made into films. > > “We're getting immense support from the fraternity in Kerala, from > directors, from people approaching [us] saying they want to screen the film > in their capacity.” > A challenge for PM Modi > > Sebastian and the other concerned filmmakers do indeed have a lot of > support pouring in from the industry. > > “We will promote these films extensively in Kerala, let Narendra Modi > <http://catchnews.com/topic/narendra-modi/> come and stop it. We don't > need a PM's permission on what films we should see,” film director KP Sasi > tells *Catch*. > > “Narendra Modi is a stuntman sitting at the post of Prime Minister. He has > no respect for the Indian Constitution. Where's the freedom of expression > in this country?” he asks. > 'I can guarantee you that in Kerala these three films will be shown > extensively' -- KP Sasi > > Calling the I&B's move “an insult to the creative, an insult to writers, > poets, social activists, everyone,” Sasi says, “I can guarantee you that in > Kerala these three films will be shown extensively. It is good that it's > banned, everybody will see it. I must thank Narendra Modi for that.” > > Challenging the PM, Sasi adds, “They could not stop our food culture in > Kerala, they can't stop our viewing, production or reading, writing > culture. No Narendra Modi, no BJP can do that. I say that as a Keralite.” > Is this I&B or CBFC's job? > > Nakul Singh Sawhney, maker of the controversial documentary *Muzaffarnagar > Baaqi Hai*, has faced this problem of checks and stops at every juncture. > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "FEC-Fourth Estate Critique" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to fourth-estate-critique+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to fourth-estate-critique@ > googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/fourth-estate-critique > . > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to greenyouth+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. 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