Curators Note

Curators Note

In November 2020 when I curated and organised the first online South Asian Feminist Film Festival under the leadership of Kamla Bhasin at Sangay, we got an enthusiastic response from filmmakers and audience alike. Little did one know that Kamla would not be with us anymore, as we got ready for the second edition….

This feminist film festival is dedicated not only to Kamla but also to Shashi Sail, Gail Omvedt, Sonal Shukla, Rati Bartholomew, Kamla Bhasin, Thanksy Francis Thekkekara and many others, who have passed away this year. They have impacted and inspired generations of social activists and feminists like me and in their memory we can all pledge that “I am not a wall that divides – I am a crack in that wall”, and continue to challenge and break through patriachal, social, national and religious walls.

Beyond Borders: A Feminist Film Festival, is organised by Jagori and Kriti Film Club as part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence, and to celebrate the South Asian Women's Day (30th November). It is curated by me with Reena Mohan, a well-known Indian filmmaker, who also co-curated the first edition. 

The films in this year's festival have been curated to embody a feminist spirit that connects art with life, dreams with realities, love with choices, courage with resistance. The festival highlights common issues, experiences and celebrates feminist solidarities in the region, through the language of moving images.

With a total of 61 films, the festival includes animations, documentaries, short fiction, feature films, and many outstanding student productions. The films and panel discussions are all available online. The 35 films from India are presented under three broad themes: Personal is Political; Family, Memory and Belonging; and Herstories. Under the fourth theme, ‘Voices from South Asia’, we have 26 films from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. All the films come with English sub-titles, even though they are made in 25 languages including sign language, representing the diversity we hold in the region.

The themes will allow you to navigate through films that present feminist narratives and stories around choices, dreams & friendships; sexuality, disability & inclusion; love, intimacy & conflict; development, migration & resilience; the visual & performing arts; religion, politics, writing & resistance.

The opening film of the festival, Mee Raqsam (I Dance), is testimony to what a father can do so his daughter aspires and achieves her dreams and the need to engage men and boys in the path of gender justice in our region.

THEME 1: Personal is Political

They push the boundaries, they take stands, they choose freedom...

Two music videos, one a dazzling lavani around a woman's police complaint Aika to the Baika; and the other, Love in the Garden of Consent pushes us to ask what if we filled the world with more depictions of consent? Would we be helping to create a normal culture of consent and choice?

The documentaries, Gay India Matrimony and Holy Rights introduce us to protagonists who may be considered a ‘threat’ to ‘acceptable’ cultural and religious practices, their resistance is an expression of freedom from gender biases. Meanwhile, Unlocking Desires, a short animation makes adolescent girls and social workers (who work with them) in a metro city explore desire, body, sexuality and choices through a feminist lens; and Mumu Shelley, a small-town lesbian, craves to function in a non-closeted relationship with her girlfriend in Mumbai.

With Sabut (or The Proof), we are forced to question patriarchal mindsets and behavior patterns and the normalisation of violence against women.

THEME 2: Family, Memory and Belonging

They break the silence, they negotiate, they decide to live on their own…

With a sense of loss, memory and belongingness, we meet City Girls away from their Banda (UP) home in New Delhi; and travel to Our Mountain Valley Home in the Western Ghats where the Wale family lives. Ek Tha Gaon, a ghost village bears witness to migration from the Himalayan foothills, where The Last Rhododendron stands witness to a forgotten and (re)newed life of women-young and old. Abloom...a moment in grief and memories that make life real.

Across age, gender, urban, rural, caste and class identities, the protagonists in Sudhamayee, the Spring of Mushrooms and Blooming Buds negotiate relationships of love and conflict and redefine the ‘family’, while trying to cross the Chaukhat.

In these times of isolation, migration and climate change, Lockdown Madness brings the much needed laughter; as we listen to Thatha’s Secret and spend time with The Grasshoppers who Sleep Here, to heal our souls and environment.

Ashudha, Chafaa, Padhaku, Rani, Tomato Fry and Tukkam—the animations by students of Srishti Manipal School of Art, Design and Technology connect us with memories of girlhood and give us a reason to remain strong while moving forward.

THEME 3: Herstories

They (re)write, they (unlearn), they perform, they unpack gender stereotypes...

Begum Akhtar’s music binds us beyond borders with Zikr Us Parivash Ka and Oh That’s Bhanu takes us on a journey of life and performance with 90-year old, Bhanumati Rao and her two daughters, Maya Krishna Rao and Tara Rao. 

Stories of women possessed and worshipped, Fathima - the Oracle and Kalsubai, confront community and society in a language of their own, along with the sole owner of a piece of land, branded a witch, in The Spell of Purple.

Making Textbooks Feminist, enables the possibility to educate and challenge and change social norms, towards gender equality and justice. Dreams on Wheels shows its possible for women to take up non-traditional livelihoods, previously dominated by men.

We Make Film, herstories of three hearing impaired and disabled film/ video-makers and the director herself, that ask us to reflect on the dominant able-bodied perspectives that surround everything we engage with technology, people, places.

THEME 4: Voices from South Asia

They build solidarities, they rebel, they create stories of change…

A diverse selection of films from five countries in the region, raising feminist voices against gender and social norms, patriarchy, structural violence and the socio-economic and political contexts, that makes ‘resistance’ echo beyond borders.

Afghanistan Unveiled, I am the Revolution and Playing with Fire - expressions from Afghani women journalists, activists and actors. Garden of Memories and House of Cards from Bangladesh—stories of labour, nostalgia and experiences of domestic violence, respectively.

Animations from the students of Yangon Film School in Myanmar, a series on Cyber Violence, Sexual Violence and Domestic Violence shot in 2016; and more recently made in 2018 and 2019, Home, Kayah Lily, Limbo, Riding Through the Waves, Wave and Kachin, with different experiences of violence across private and public sites. A Scarecrow, Confusion and I am a Fighter—films that give us the voices of three Nepali women, reclaiming their identity, desires and courage; as we take a journey with a mother through Yet another Winter.

As the festival comes together, we see so many commonalities between our countries, even as four women from two neighbouring countries dance and dazzle with classical, regional and popular dance forms — Mee Raqsam, Oh That’s Bhanu, Aika to the Baika from India; and How she Moves and Raqs from Pakistan. The sounds of Azaadi resound as Vote for X and Saya show us the mirror of nationhood across the border. We listen to Sri Lankan voices with Paangshu, Bless this Home, Kali’s Daughter and It’s Not Tall Short Thing, surviving violence and leading protests against violations of human rights.

They dance, sing and perform to challenge socio-political contexts

They (re)claim their identities and sexualities.

They find love and family, as they nurture the self and the ‘other’, while negotiating patriarchal norms and conflict in relationships.

They unlock desires, claim sexualities and question the closeted constructs of culture and religion.

They (re)write herstories of life and feminism.

They resist violence and rise in collective strength and friendship

They are film students, animators, independent filmmakers, artists and creators of feminist journies

They create, express and make films while caring and living, learning and unlearning.

Different gender identities across intersectionalities of age, class, caste, religion, (dis)ability, region come together to make this film festival come alive.

We hope you will be energized and inspired by these films as much as we have been putting them together. The film festival is free and open to anyone with internet access. All the films will be available to watch from 4pm (IST) on Friday, 3rd December upto 10pm (IST) on Friday, 10th December 2021.

Conceptualising, identifying, accessing, finalizing and then presenting a film festival is quite an exercise while working with limited resources, and yet here we are! The festival has been made possible due to the amazing support, hard work and energy of several friends, filmmakers and colleagues.

To start with, love and thank you to Reena Mohan, my co-curator and filmmaker par excellence. To Anam Abbas, Anomaa Rajakaruna, Deepti Khurana, Jabeen Merchant, Film & Television Institute of India, Mandira Raut, Pankaj Rishi Kumar, Premendra Mazumder, Rajan Kathet, Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design & Technology, Women Make Movies, Yangon Film School and all the participating filmmakers, this one is to your friendship and solidarity. Last but not the least, big thanks to Jaya Velankar and team at Jagori; Saransh Bisht, Jagriti Singh, Lata Chaudhary, Riddhi Sahni, Aarti Khare at the Kriti team.

Please excuse us for any unintended technical or programmatic errors and do share your comments and feedback on the films you watch on space.kriti@gmail.com or on the Facebook event page.

Aanchal Kapur

Founder, Kriti Film Club/ Kriti team

November 2021, Bombay/ Mumbai, India