|
 The
jury award for Prakriti Foundation's 3rd annual ‘One
Billion Eyes Indian Documentary Film Festival 2007’ went to
’India Untouched’, produced by K Stalin. The jury consisted of
Anandhi, Meena Kandaswamy and Eric Miller. The prize money is Rs
25,000.
‘India Untouched – Stories of People Apart’
is a comprehensive look at untouchability. Director Stalin spent
four years travelling the length and breadth of the country to
expose the continued oppression of Dalits, 'the broken people',
who suffer under a 4,000-year-old religious system.
 It
exposes the continuation of caste practices and untouchability
in Sikhism, Chiristanity and Islam, and even amongst the
Communists in Kerala. Dalits themselves are not let off the
hook. Spanning eight states and four religions,’India Untouched’
will make it impossible for anyone to deny that untouchability
continues to be practised in India. In an age where the media
projects only one image of “rising” or “poised” India, this film
reminds us how far the country is from being an equal society.
Travelling through eight states and four religions, this film is
a serious exploration of caste oppression.
Stalin is the co-founder and director of
Drishti Media, Arts and Human Rights and the India director of
Video Volunteers.
Drishti is a leading media and human rights
organisation in India, with 15 years experience pioneering new
models of participatory media, such as Stree Theatre, community
radio, campaign design, documentary film-making and
participatory video.
 Stalin
is also an internationally acclaimed documentary film-maker and
has made over a dozen documentaries and has received several
national and international awards. His film, ‘Lesser Humans’, on
the issue of untouchability, has been responsible for much of
the international attention to Dalit issues.
He is one of the leading voices to
democratise India's airwaves and has been in the forefront of
the fight for communities' right to own and run their own radio
stations. He was part of a team that set up one of the first
community radio projects in India. He is the national convenor
of the Community Radio Forum - India, a membership network of
more than 100 organisations. |
