20th Social Justice Film Festival 2023 : Screening Schedule

20th Social Justice Film Festival
14-16 September, Chennai 

Jointly organised by

Roja Muthiah Research Library

PG Department of Development Studies - Madras School of Social Work

Periyar Self Respect Media - Periyar Thidal

and 

MARUPAKKAM

Screening Schedule

Day 01 : 14 Sep / Roja Muthiah Research Library, Taramani 

Guest Speakers : 

Pro A Marx

Prof V Arasu

Trotsky Maruthu (artist / painter / writer) 

Dr A Shanti 

Devaneyan - activist 

Archana Sekhar - activist, researcher 

Eniyan - activist, writer

11 am Inauguration

11.30 am

From the Shadows
Dir : Miriam Chandy Menacherry; 76.09 min; Documentary; India 

 
From the Shadows uses the imagery of public art to delve into missing narratives. Paint cans and stencils in hand, Leena Kejriwal relentlessly sprays splattered walls with a girl’s shadow #missing #everyeightminutes, a haunting reminder that girls disappear at a staggering pace. The narrative starts from her terrace overlooking Asia’s largest red-light district and into the world’s largest delta, quick sands of missing cases.

12.40 pm : Interaction 

1 pm : Lunch break

2 pm

At the Moment of Death
Dir: Ajay Raina; 80.31 min; Documentary; India 

Following his earlier film about the exodus of Hindus (Tell them, the tree they had planted has now grown – 2001), the filmmaker revisits Kashmir to follow a group of local Hindus who stayed back as they travel all across the Kashmir valley to document their vanishing—they meticulously archive their cultural and spiritual history, their traditional festivals and an ancient way of life.

3.20 pm Interaction

3.30 pm

High Pass Blues
Dir : Kabir Naik, Parashar Kulkarni; 69 min; Documentary; India 

 
In "High Pass Blues" follow the compelling journey of a researcher as he embarks on a transformative journey to explore the mental health of high-pass truckers in India. As he sets out on a perilous expedition with a seasoned truck driver from Leh to Manali, the documentary delves into the breathtaking landscapes that paint the backdrop of their odyssey. Amidst treacherous mountain passes and awe-inspiring beauty, a profound connection forms between the two individuals, offering a unique insight into their inner lives.

4.40 pm Interaction 

4.50 pm Tea break

5 pm

Our Film
Dir : Dakshin Chhara; 48.35 min; Documentary; India 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a collective of indigenous artists belonging to India’s ‘ex-criminal’ De-notified Tribes and associated with Budhan Theatre, decided to produce video-podcasts of the impact of the pandemic on the margins.

Malipura Dam
Dir : Laxminarayan Devda, Deepak Verma; 53.52 min; Documentary; India 

As the water level in the earthen dam steadily goes down in the hot summer months, the resentments and undercurrents amongst the beneficiaries begin to rise. The protocol to stop using the water directly after a certain level has been violated by the most affluent and the powerful amongst the 7 beneficiaries and the rest are hesitant to bell the cat. How does the process of filming the undercurrents help resolve the predicaments?

6.45 pm Interaction and closing remarks

Day 2, 15 September / Madras School of Social Work, Egmore 

Guest speakers : 

Prof Irudhayaraj

Angel Philomina - filmmaker

Arul Ezhilan - journalist 

Vijay Anand - media person

Dr Mubeen Sadhika - researcher

Anitha Pottamkulam - researcher / critic

Sujata Mody - trade unionist 

10 am : Inauguration

10.30 am

The Leopard’s Tribe
Dir : Miriam Chandy Menacherry; 40 min; Documentary; India 

 
Mumbai authorities axe thousands of trees to expand a mass transit system. Home to 10,000 indigenous tribals led by Prakash Bhoir a scuffle unfolds to protect forest and the leopard they worship. A battle to save the green lungs of India’s financial capital unfolds.

Submerged
Dir : Iqbal Hussain; 25 min; Documentary; India 

Kotmir, a village in the Dharaji Panchayat, was under the submergence area of the Omkareswar Dam built in the Narmada River. But many of the people from Kotmir had refused to leave the village due to unsettled compensation packages and they lived a subsistence life as migrant labourers in the cities. When they were forced to return homeduring the country wide lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, these migrant labourers faced a unique situation.

11.35 am Interaction

11.45 Tea break

12 pm Miles Away
Dir : Megha Acharya; 50 min; Documentary; India 

The everyday-lives of three female labourers working in a brick kiln in India takes an upsetting turn after an unexpected rainfall halts their work. What unfolds is a threatening tale of unorganized labour and economic debts in a rapidly urbanizing India.

12.50 pm Interaction

1 pm : Lunch break

2 pm

Pehla Anda
Dir : Vritti Bhardwaj, Koshika; 11.28 min; Short Fiction; India 

 
The story revolves around a family of a 10 years old girl named Bhoori who gets her first period, and her mother, the only female in the house, not being home. Knowing nothing about it, she comes to the conclusion that she might die and makes different conclusions in her head to its reasoning. The situation causes chaos between her brother, father, and her. Getting a packet of pads made it worse when none of them knew how to use it. The blunder was solved when their neighbor, Simmi Aunty, comes to the rescue.

Court
Dir :Shridhar Sudhir, Vritti Bhardwaj, Koshika, Yakshika, Khushi Goyal; 14.23 min; Short Fiction; India 

The story revolves around two passionate badminton players, Aftab and Ajay. Aftab, who gets motivated by his coach, to stay focused on his ambition. Whereas for Ajay, his mother, being a sports enthusiast herself, acts as his support system. They both play against each other in a College Cup final, having a fierce match throughout the game. The match was at a very intense moment where both players were at deuce, and only one point was required for either of them to win. Despite years of dedication and hard work, the last winning point was left in the hands of destiny

Yaan
Dir : Satish Sharma; 10 min; Short fiction; India 

YAAN –Is a film about Sukhram and his family, a poor family, living in a small secluded hut near a small town somewhere in the interior of India.

The Unjust and Beyond
Dir : Ratheesh Mon Panampatta; 22.43 min; Documentary; India 

 

Landslides are often conceived as natural disasters. It becomes an issue of justice when it disproportionately affects different sections of society. In the Indian state of Kerala, it disproportionately affects the Dalits (“Lower caste”), Adivasis (Tribes), and the poor. The present work engages with the spatial injustice faced by the lower caste and class people in Kerala.

Perumbakkam
Dir : Sanjay Ridwan; 37 min; Documentary; India

A detailed study on the dark side of the urban housing development’s eviction process and the horrors of basic human living standards in the slum clearance housing board of Perumbakkam, Chennai.

Khori
Dir : Kallol Mukherjee; 14 min; Hindi with Eng subtitles; 2022 

 
The short documentary intends to explore the plight and expressions of migrant workers residing at Khori Village, Faridabad which is declared illegal by the Supreme Court of India and their houses are already in a demolishing state without proper rehabilitating of the villagers.

4.15 pm Interaction and closing remarks

Day 3, 16 September / Periyar Thidal 

Guest speakers :

Prof Binitha Thampi

Prof Uma Sakthi

Palaivana Lanther - poet

Ulaga Cinema Bhaskaran - filmmaker

Senthil Kumaran - filmmaker 

Peter Durairaj - trade unionist 

Balakrishnan - trade unionist 

Kalyan - filmmaker / actor

Vicky - filmmaker

11 am

If not Now
Dir : Jill Daniels; 15 min; Documentary; UK 

If Not Now is a documentary essay film addressed to my Jewish great-great grandmother, Rebecca, who lived and died in Brick Lane in London’s East End. Her death haunts my memories. Brick Lane has been home to successive immigrant communities, Huguenot weavers, Jews, Bengalis; today it is semi-gentrified with hipster clothes shops, street food, beigel bakeries, Indian restaurants and sari shops.

Wanted ‘Naxal’ on Demand
Dir : Maheen Mirza; 23.35 min; Documentary; India 

In the remote village of Nilavaya, nestled in the heart of Bastar, Bhima went to visit his sister on that fateful day, never to return! Filled with anguish and unanswered questions, his family and community gather to narrate their side of the story to a group of activists. Each voice carries a fragment of truth, a piece of the intricate puzzle that haunts their collective memory.

Tam-brahm Cooking
Dir : Sraiyanti, Prem Akkattoos; 9 min 20 sec; Short fiction; India 

A man who works as a security guard in an apartment complex goes about his day, while the residents who live there express their views on caste, identity and their own social standing. But actions speak louder than words.

Hailstorm
Dir : Shobhit Jain; 60 min; Documentary; India 

A freak hailstorm sets off a series of events in the life of farmers unfolding the vulnerability and precarious situation of those on the margin.

12.50 Interaction

1 pm : Lunch break

2 pm

Afghan Women: A History of Struggle
Dir : Kathleen Foster; 70. 37 min; Documentary; United States 

 
AFGHAN WOMEN:A HISTORY OF STRUGGLE, captures the resilience and courage of a group of remarkable women who risk their lives to tell the hidden stories of their fight against oppressive fundamentalist forces, and the role of the U.S. and the U.S.S.R in this compelling history of struggle.

3.10 Interaction

3.30 pm

Fikirte
Dir: Yi Wu; 01:10:10; Ethiopia; Documentary

Fikirte, a 24-year-old single mother in Ethiopia. She lives in a container by the side of the road with her young children and sells coffee for a living.

After two failed marriages, she became pregnant unexpectedly, But her boyfriend went far away and lost contact. More unfortunately, the place where she lives is facing demolition, and the mother and her children are about to live on the streets. In the face of the cruelty of fate, how can she fight for her rights? Where should she go to find her home?

4.40 pm Interaction

5 pm : Tea break

5.15 pm

Maka
Dir: Elia Moutamid; 51:56; Italy; Documentary 

Maka presents Geneviéve Makaping’s life in Italy and perilous migration journey. By sharing Makaping’s experience as the first Black news editor in Italy, Maka speaks out against the media representation of immigrants and offers an evocative examination of the intersection between sexism and racism in Italy. From Moroccan-born Italian director Elia Moutamid, this riveting documentary offers a poignant exploration of displacement, identity, and belonging.

Imad’s Childhood
Dir: Zahavi Sanjavi; 01:17:00; Sweden; Documentary

Imad, a five-year-old Yazidi child, is released from ISIS captivity after two and a half years. During this time, ISIS has brainwashed Imad and he considers himself one of the ISIS fighters. His eyes still emanate innocence, but he shows no other feelings than hatred for his mother and resentment towards those around him.

7.30 pm : Interaction and closing remark

ENTRY FREE! ALL ARE WELCOME!