A film festival showcasing 15 films is bringing together documentary films/alternative cinema that share stories and insights about people’s resistance to oppressive regimes, dehumanising socio-cultural practices and also positive stories of transformation and change. In collaboration with local educational institutions, organisations and networks this film festival is an attempt to initiate conversations through screening films revolving around broader issues related to women, youth and vulnerable communities like farmers, migration, displacement and sustainable livelihoods.

“Indian culture is a tapestry of many weaves, many threads. The weaving is endless as are the shades of the pattern.  Somewhere dark, somewhere light, somewhere saffron, somewhere as green as the fields of new paddy…Somewhere the cloth frays. Somewhere the threads tear. But still it holds...”

 

As observed by writer and activist Mahasweta Devi, there has always been something that held together the colourful and diverse Indian culture. The Constitution of India that in its preamble itself promises Justice, Liberty and Equality  while promoting Fraternity among all the people has been a vital adhesive holding together this diversity of cultures and  communities.  

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Today as a nation, we are living in conflicting times. The top ten percent in India holds fifty seven percent of the national income. That means the majority in the country have such less income that it leads to vulnerabilities and deprivation in everyday life creating extreme inequality with shrinking opportunities and limited resources. On the other hand the Hindu nationalist idea of a cohesive India continues to rise without any substantial acknowledgement of the existence of an India that is not only economically unequal but unequal and discriminatory in terms of caste, religion and gender.  

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Chief architect of the Indian constitution Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was well aware of this deeply rooted social inequality. He predicted that although we would recognise the principle of one man, one vote and one value leading to political equality we would continue to deny the principle of one man one value in our social and economic life due to our unequal social and economic structure. He also addressed the danger of such contradiction -  

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“How long shall we continue to live this life of contradictions? How long shall we continue to deny equality in our social and economic life? If we continue to deny it, we will do so only by putting our political democracy in peril.”  

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With such contradicting realities, it is important that we reconstruct the idea of India that is inclusive, secure, accepting of differences, embracing diversity, and is rooted in the freedom and wellbeing of all its people.  
In India, the media is getting more and more centralised and is controlled by large corporations. These corporations have their own vested interests to impact on people’s lives and perception by distorting the facts. In today’s context we can also see the negative impact of social media and the kind of misinformation it spreads that is causing great discord between people and communities while glorifying violence and injustice in its many forms.  

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As a response to centralised media, alternative media practices began to emerge in India from the mid-seventies. It was the efforts of independent documentary filmmakers, media practitioners and film societies that ensured the focus on deliberately neglected social, cultural and political realities. Through their effort, they kept spaces open for creative dissent which is central to the idea and practice of democracy.  

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Keeping these marginalised realities in mind the film festival “Elephant and the Ant” (‘Aane mathu Iruve’), organised  in collaboration with local educational institutions, organisations and networks is an attempt to initiate conversations  through screening films revolving around broader issues related to women, youth and vulnerable communities like  farmers, migration, displacement and sustainable livelihoods.  

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By bringing together documentary films/alternative cinema that share stories and insights about people’s resistance to  oppressive regimes, dehumanising socio-cultural practices and also positive stories of transformation and change we hope to add to the existing efforts of creating a sustainable, vibrant and pluralistic political vision for a just world order. It is a small attempt to magnify the voices of those opposing the powerful and unjust system, fueled by disparity and intolerance towards the marginalised. 

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Afterall, as the age old fable goes it is the tiny ant that finally stands up to the mighty elephant making it aware of its own fallibility.