Here is a collated list of KRITI FILM CLUB's lockdown recommendations from June 2020, with 30th June marking 108 days of documentary recommendations by us. To more and more documentary watching, sharing and actions for social change inspired by these films and the filmmakers who create them. Thank you to all the independent film makers who have for the past 20 years made it possible for the Kriti Film Club to screen their films and continue to do so!
Day 73 (1 June 2020): Musical lockdown recommendations for Kriti team’s 21st birthday.
MANN
KE MANJEERE: https://youtu.be/LsFha77l3RY
BEKAAR
KUTTE: https://youtu.be/M5MZOXsCnxg
BAVRA
MANN: https://youtu.be/75HtUkww2aE
Artists:
Swanand Kirkire and Shantanu Moitra
Day 74 (2 June 2020): Today's film spans across multiple musical genres and seamlessly weaves personal stories with the soul of blues, pop, rock and devotional folk music. It was first screened by us in March 2012. KNOCKING ON HEAVEN'S DOOR by Sanjay Barnela and Samreen Farooqui https://youtu.be/QZOnZwVXQWk
Day 75 (3 June 2020): Today's filmis a reflection of the year 2007, which witnessed one of the worst floods in the contemporary history of Bihar. The film touches a wide range of issues and critically evaluates the disaster preparedness and management vis-a-vis frequent flood in Bihar. It was first screened by us in April 2008. WATERS OF DESPAIR by Srijan https://youtu.be/LlupOBRwUO8
Day 76 (4 June 2020): Today's film is an anthology of short films made by young women offering a glimpse into the lives of women from working class settlements, venturing into the city to take up livelihood opportunities that the fast-changing city is throwing up. First screened by us in March 2018. RAAHI - ZINDAGI ROZANA by Ankur Talkies; http://www.doculive.in/2020/06/raahi-zindagi-rozana-films-by-ankur.html
Day 77 (5 June 2020): As part of ecoReels-Celebrating Environment Day weekend, presenting 2 films, one made in 2002 and another in 2020. WORDS ON WATER by Sanjay Kak and a short video on what the film means even today! https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ib1gk4bq9t60r58gboieu/3-Words-on-Water.mp4
EVER
SLOW GREENby
Christoph Pohl which tells the story of Auroville’s 50-years-young forest
through some of the diverse characters who have dedicated their lives to
bringing it to fruition.https://vimeo.com/407553297 (Available to watch
only until 7th June)
Day 78 (6 June 2020): As part of ecoReels-Celebrating Environment Day weekend, presenting two films. Shot near Tibet, a magical tale about a young boy close who finds the solution to Global Warming from a monk in the mountains. GLOBAL WARMING - A FABLE FROM THE HIMALAYAS by Nitin Das; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35u0J4p26Fg&t=70s
The first wildlife Indian film made exclusively for children, to expose our younger audience to the diverse wild flora and fauna of India and encourage them to actively participate in wildlife conservation. THE JUNGLE GANG MEETS THE RHINO by Krishnendu Bose; https://vimeo.com/54652148
Day 79 (7 June 2020): As part of ecoReels-Celebrating Environment Day weekend, presenting a film that explores current solutions of water crisis like dams and sewage treatment plants. It discovers ideas in unexpected places and highlights people who are pursuing creative solutions. THE GROUNDWATER UP PROJECT by Tarini Manchanda, Katie Gillett and Moriah Mason; https://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/5651/The-Groundwater-Up-Project
Day 80 (8 June 2020): Today's filmthreads the cross-section journeys into the other paradigm in architecture and examines the values and underlying common sense of the vernacular in shaping our built environment.First screened by us in October 2009. VERNACULAR VALUES conceptualized & produced by John D'Souza; https://youtu.be/4sNqk7WUQJ0
Day 81 (9 June 2020): Today's filmis a remarkable story of a little village that resisted the forces of Hindu fundamentalism during the 2002 anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat, India.First screened by us in December 2012. TALES FROM NAPA by Lalit Vachani, produced by PSBT; https://youtu.be/FNV5xcKMi8w
Day 82 (10 June 2020): Today's film is a musical documentary that explores our sense of belonging to re-imagine the idea of home through conversations with four Tibetan refugee artists in Dharamshala. IN SEARCH OF RHYTHMby Vaibhav Jadhav; https://youtu.be/leon31YVufA
Day 83 (11 June 2020): A film that delivers a powerful message of hope by showing that many solutions to climate change are local and low technology.First screened by us in March 2010. AAROHAN: A CLIMATE CHANGE STORYby The Hunger Project and the the Environmental Defense Fund; https://youtu.be/PB_x4rMo4jk
Day 84 (12 June 2020): A documentary about personal caste experiences of different people from different backgrounds. The film attempts to record our silences, aims, compromises and ambiguities regarding caste. MY CASTE by Amudhan R.P.; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R51tgYw1Ti4&t=267s
Day 85 (13 June 2020): A cult film that changed the way Indian documentary filmmakers approached their characters. This award-winning film is produced and directed by Reena Mohan and is a tribute to a woman who struggled against the social structures of her times. Do watch this pathbreaking portrait of Kamlabai Gokhale, an early theatre actress and who, along with her mother DurgabaiKamat, is credited as being the first actress of the Indian silver screen. (available for 48 hours) KAMLABAI BY REENA MOHAN; https://vimeo.com/188487980, Password: reena
Day 86 (14 June 2020): Today, we have for you a collection of short films by Nitin Das.
MONKS
VERSUS MOSQUITOES;
https://youtu.be/EggT6Jy66y0
FOLK
MUSIC OF INDIA;
https://youtu.be/7tq3PoByzxs
HEAL:
A GOOGLE EARTH SHORT FILM;
https://youtu.be/YkH4DzgasxA
Day 87 (15 June 2020): Today’s film is a short film of a DongriaKond song that captures with the sounds of music, some moments from the hills of Niyamgiri in Odisha which is yet to be lost to the attempts of Vedanta, an aluminium company wanting to undertake mining there.First screened by us in September 2009. THE LAMENT OF NIYAMRAJAby Surya Shankar Dash; https://youtu.be/lKuL8oEl1DM
Day 88 (16 June 2020): This film is based on interviews with young Tibetans from Dharamshala and Majnu ka Tila in Delhi as it tries to capture the dilemmas of being Tibetan in India.First screened by us in April 2011. LEARNING IN EXILE by AprajitaSarcar, Akbar Quadri and Azam Quadri and produced by PSBT; https://youtu.be/nqlJIBV2VsM
Day 89 (17 June 2020): This film is about a chance meeting in a park in Berlin proves to be fortuitous for two strangers, faced with uncertainty of their immigrant status and scraping circumstances. ASYLUM PARK by Shanu Sharma; https://vimeo.com/226700090/description; Password- vandana992
Day 90 (18 June 2020): This film is an exploration of the lives of women and adolescent girls in Rajasthan and Bengal in India who have resisted, or risen beyond child marriage. I Will Prevail by Shibani Chaudhary and made by HAQ:Centre for Child Rights; https://youtu.be/tau2BTJUdGE
Day 91 (19 June 2020): The film is about the non-traditional livelihood initiative for young women that breaks the patriarchal boundaries by providing skill training on driving to empower them to be economically independent for a dignified living. DRIVERBENS OF AHMEDABAD by Kirtida Oza; https://youtu.be/xkxq9PvGzW0
Day 92 (20 June 2020): Today’s film is about Haidar, a taxi driver who dreams of going to India to see the Taj Mahal. The only problem is he lives in Pakistan! Will his dream come true? DREAMING TAJ MAHAL by Nirmal Chander; https://vimeo.com/175991184, Password: tajmahal (was available for 48 hours)
Day 93 (21 June 2020): Celebrating Father's Day with a film shot in the streets of Rome, is the story of a desperate father whose new job is threatened when a street thief steals his bicycle. It explores the strengthenedbond between a father and a son as they take to the streets in an impossible search for the bicycle. First screened by us in January 2005. BICYCLE THIEVES by Vittorio De Sica; https://youtu.be/UJza7EhoWyQ
This
episode from KOI SUNTA HAI by Shabnam Virmani interweaves the folk music
traditions of Kabir with the life and music of the late classical singer Kumar
Gandharva – a perfect treat for World Music Day. First screened by us in
December 2016. https://youtu.be/LM6NU4jiKn8
Day 94 (22 June 2020): This film is the story of Reshma Valliappan and her journey of triumph over schizophrenia. First screened by us in October 2011. A DROP OF SUNSHINEby Aparna Sanyal, and produced by PSBT; https://youtu.be/6Ro5B2ecFSk
Day 95 (23 June 2020): This film traces the journey of a woman who gave up the material world for the austere life of a Jain Sadhvi. ON AN EXPRESS HIGHWAY by Reena Mohan, produced by PSBT; https://youtu.be/aOJWfBYZT_E
Day 96 (24 June 2020): The film documents a rare, inspiring instance of resolute cultural resistance against the feudal-imperialist Brahmanic edifice in which the democratic, welfare State sits peacefully …and obnoxiously. (First screened by us in January 2017). FLAMES OF FREEDOMby Subrat Kumar Sahu; https://vimeo.com/193834849
Day 97 (25 June 2020): Today’s film is a relentless journey across India listening to heart-wrenching stories of mob lynching that have torn apart families and shaken the entire nation. LYNCH NATION by Shaheen Ahmed and Ashfaque EJ; https://vimeo.com/304738909Password:LynchNation
Day 98 (26 June 2020): This film sets to uncover a town's complex dynamics- the fear of love, the constant scrutiny and control of women's mobility and sexuality, a history of communal violence, caste brutalisation and feudal mindsets. MORALITY TV AND THE LOVING JEHAD - EK MANOHAR KAHANIby Paromita Vohra and produced by PSBT; https://youtu.be/kTFjfn9nl_w
Day 99(27 June 2020): The film is a story of Gauri Lankesh, one of Karnataka's most prominent and fearless journalists. She was shot dead outside her house in Bengaluru on the night of 5th September, 2017. Gauri spoke out against communal forces in the country and represented dissent and freedom of speech. OUR GAURI by Deepu; https://youtu.be/qd_Xmf70dkU
Day 100 (28 June 2020): A film made by girls from different remote villages in Bihar. These girls were trained by the non-profit organisation, ‘Feminist Approach to Technology’ to use story telling for advocating their rights. KHULTE PANKHproduced by FAT; https://youtu.be/yMzm3P6UFuY
Day 101 (29 June 2020): A film that explores the struggle of students reclaiming freedom and justice in India's universities in 2016-17. Shot in 6-7 campuses such as HCU, JNU, BHU and Delhi University, the film documents the students’ struggle for issues such as discrimination due to caste, gender and religion etc. in many towns. CAMPUS RISINGby Yousuf Saeed; https://vimeo.com/314970749
Day 102 (30 June 2020): *102 not out!!* In true filmy style, today marks the culmination of the daily Kriti Film Club Lockdown Recommendations with a documentary on Sharmila Tagore.The film revisits the life and times of the iconic Sharmila Tagore, introduced to film acting at age 13 by Satyajit Ray, successfully straddling the worlds of classical and popular cinema. STARRING SHARMILA TAGORE by Umang Sabarwal, produced by Public Service Broadcasting Trust; https://vimeo.com/349813308
Note: Thanks to Kriti team volunteers, Tanushree Angrish and Shruti Vinod for making these posts possible, with support from Dileesha K, Bhavna Verma, Kavita Yadav
Comments