Fazil N.C. and Shawn Sebastian, directors of 'In The Shade of Fallen Chinar'Kottayam: Three short films based on issues that put the union government on the defensive have been barred by the union information and broadcasting ministry from being screened in the competition and focus sections of the upcoming Xth International Documentary Short Film Festival of Kerala.
The festival is slated to be held in Thiruvananthapuram from June 16-20, giving the filmmakers little time to pursue options against what filmmaker and Kerala State Chalachitra Academy chiarman Kamal termed “cultural emergency being unleashed in the country”.
There is no independent confirmation on why the I&B ministry chose to bar these movies.
“I came to know from reports only about the ban on my film which was to be screened as part of competition section,” Shawn Sebastian, co-director of In The Shade of Fallen Chinar, told Onmanorama.
“But if you notice, all the films have a thread which has put the union government in a defensive recently,” he pointed out.
Directed by Shawn and Fazil N.C, In The Shade of Fallen Chinar, was shot in Kashmir valley a few days before Burhan Wani's death, which triggered widespread protests.
The plot revolves around a group of young artists who are also students of Kashmir University. It talks about the factors that inspired their art and how it takes the form of resistance in the strife-torn Valley.
“Since the festival organizers have decided to appeal, we would wait at the moment. Also we are yet to know if the ban is specific to the festival or whether it is a blanket ban on screening in other public venues,” Shawn informed.
March March March, a film on the protests in Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Unbearable Being of Lightness, which has a plot with the backdrop of Rohit Vemula suicide are the other films which irked the union government's censors.
March March March is in competition section and Unbearable Being of Lightness was to be screened as part of Focus section.
"These are bad times for artists who try to react to the existing intolerance in the country through their works," Kamal said.
He said the academy will file an appeal against the Center's decision, though chances of the decision being revoked are less as the festival is scheduled to begin in a few days.
