Australian Government vs. 7th Jakarta International Film Festival
December 11th, 2005 by Andre Soares
The Australian Government has withdrawn its financial support to the 7th Jakarta International Film Festival, reportedly because of the scheduled screenings of four controversial Australian films. One of those is Dateline video journalist David O’Shea’s Australian-Indonesian documentary Garuda’s Deadly Upgrade, about the case of an Indonesian airline pilot convicted of poisoning Indonesia’s leading human rights activist, Munir Said Thalib. "I never expected any democratic government to try to influence the programming of an overseas film festival," remarked festival director Orlow Seunke.
The Jakarta festival kicked off on Dec. 9 with a screening of Ismaël Ferroukhi’s Le Grand voyage.
Quote found at abc.net.
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RE: Documentary for film festival-“I am waiting-A HALF-WIDOW”
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Documentary Details
Title: “I am waiting-A HALF-WIDOW”
This is a story of missing people, boys and men who were picked up by security forces and then simply disappeared. The location is Kashmir. Sandwiched between India and Pakistan, Kashmir is a battleground for both. Since the men are missing, not declared dead their wives are not widows but ‘half widows.’
You Can watch My Film
1. http://www.documentary-film.net/search/video-listings.php?e=110
2. http://www.cruxy.com/store/kashmir
3.http://www.tvbeyondborders.com/filmfestival/widowsofkashmir5.html.
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHCoAOByC70
My Blog site
http://trailwomen.blogspot.com/index.html
Production Independent
39.25 mins. DV. Documentary. November 2005 (Completed). Language: Kashmiri. Language Sub Title: English
Rights Available: All, Worldwide
Producer: Sushil Kumar
Director: Sushil Kumar
Writer: Sushil Kumar
Cast: Documentary
More info: None.
Target Audience: General
Synopsis:
This is a story of missing people, boys and men who were picked up by security forces and then simply disappeared. The location is Kashmir. Sandwiched between India and Pakistan, Kashmir is a battleground for both. Since the men are missing, not declared dead their wives are not widows but ‘half widows.’
The ‘half widows’ need extraordinary courage in living. Personally they live with the memories of their love. They have to suddenly switch from being the woman in the veil at home to a Bread-earner. The women and children tell their own stories. Their dreams, fears, aspirations and the hardships. Their faces reflect their tension. As the years have gone by, many have learnt to live with their hopes and aspirations while some are still caught in conflicts with their in-laws, the State, religion and day-to-day livelihood.
Their psychiatric problems add to the statistic that Kashmir has the highest number of psychotic patients in the world. These women are true survivors of a cruel period in the history of this ‘paradise on earth’. The first result of a society living in the midst of war is a sharp increase in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSDT) patients These women have not only lost their support but are also being marginalized and have no status left in society.
Duration: 39.25 mins. DVCAM Documentary Issues: Gender, Human rights, Conflict and society
General: The first time I came across this term Half-Widows was about six years ago, after the completed the story about shelling affected villagers, when I was returning from Uri, Line of Control, Northern Kashmir to Srinagar, in a public vehicle. I met Ms. Parveena Ahangar, who was Searching her dear son Javed Ahangar in a public vehicle. After some interactions, Parveena explained about her son, who was picked up by Indian security forces at that unfortunate night, from her residence, Dhobhi Mohalla, Batmaloo, and Sringar. She invited me to join a meeting of other victimized people at her residence. When I went to her residence, among the crowd - a weeping woman Shameema asked me, neither woman nor widow, where is my husband? Tell me- he is dead or alive - my status, who am i? Accidentally, my mind clicked a word –Half widow. I found one, two or three Shammema but also a society emerged as half-widows in Kashmir. I was moved by the plight of these proud women. Since then we shot ten times in Kashmir. Sometimes situations were grim. I was threatened and pushed around by the military. Faced hostile and emotionally disturbed crowds and always had no budget. I finished the film entirely with internal funds. The film was shot in DVCAM in 10 shooting stints, which spread over a period of 4 years. In total it has taken us nearly four years to finish it.
General:
Before filmmaking, As a freelance Journalist, I did several tape-recorder interviews with the people, violence victims, separatist groups and leaders on armed conflict, victimization of violence, human rights, militarization, civilian in the war, Gross Violations of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Political Repression, women rights, Human Security, State Responsibility, Introgation centers like- PAPA-1, Papa-2, Hari niwash, Maleshiya, Cargo International etc, self-Determination movement, separatist movement,children in conflict issues. During this period, I felt, in totally misrepresenting the truth of what’s really going on. How can anybody even talk of ‘solutions of this armed conflict’ when i simply deny the reality? Then I decided, I must visualize the truth of what’s really going on and started visualization of the reality in the Documentary Frame.
. Documented on camera regarding “The Kashmiri children in violence psychosis” in 2000.
. Documented on camera “Militancy, Peace and Development in the villages of the South Kashmir” in 2000.
. Documented on camera“The Psychological depression of Women and Children in Kashmir” in 2001
*Research & Camera, direction, editing and script for a documentary titled “The Election mood in the Valley”, 29.19mins, in 2003.
Contact Details: Sushil Kumar
C/0-Jahbu Singh, F-153, Lado Sarai, Mehrauli,
New Delhi- 110030,India.
+91-11-9350475644 EMAIL-halfwidows@gmail.com
Note: - I need sponsorship .I don’t have resources for bearing of shipping cost of my film DVD, Please consider.