Films from India

Film screening followed by a discussion with community media activist and filmmaker Stalin. K.

“Lesser Humans/Venth Chetha”

59 min. Gujarati, English. 1998

50 years of Independence have not changed the lives of the Bhangis in Gujarat, who even today continue the profession prescribed to them by the caste system - manually disposing human excreta. This film investigates the factors responsible for the continuance of this often banned inhuman practice.

“Gujarat” - A work in progress

35 minutes. Hindi, Gujarati with English Sub-titles

This film through interviews with survivors reconstructs the systematic carnage unleashed on the minorities in Ahmedabad from 28th February 2002 onwards. The film is a work in progress and was put together to be submitted to the National Human Rights Commission when it first visited Gujarat in the third week of March 2002. This was the first film to be made on the state sponsored carnage and many independent film-makers have used clips from the over the 100 hours of footage he filmed. Produced by Drishti Media Collective.

Cosponsored with:

Department of Religious Studies, Stanford University.

The Asian Religions & Cultures Initiative (ARC)/India, Stanford University

Asia/Pacific Research Center at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford.

Center for South Asian Studies, UC Berkeley

Friends of South Asia http://www.friendsofsouthasia.org

Asha Stanford http://www.ashanet.org/stanford

South Asian Law Students Association, Berkeley

IMC-USA

Townsend Center working group on Muslim Identities & Cultures