The 3 Screens Film Festival Public ka Multiplex, India Social Forum, New Delhi, November 10 - 12, 2006 |
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The 3 Screens Film Festival was held at the venue of the India Social Forum, New Delhi, from the 10th to the 12th of November, 2006, as an independent event that showed 99 films over three full days in three auditoriums, aptly named Public ka Multiplex. The film festival was organised by the Delhi Film Archive (DFA), which has its roots in a Campaign Against Censorship, begun in the summer of 2003 when more than 200 documentary and short filmmakers from across India came together in the belief that censorship violates the essential rights of citizens. The 3 Screens film festival also reflected DFA's focus on energising public opinion on censorship through discussion, publication, and above all, a strong screening culture. Three monstrous black tents, each with a large screen, formed the 3 Screens of the festival. The foyer (another big black tent) displayed 3 video monitors that ran unedited footage of the slum demolitions in Yamuna Pushta, TV footage of Hero Honda workers being beaten, footage of protests by factory workers of Michael Aram, and of Manipuri women protesting the rape of Manorama outside Assam Rifles. |
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The films were screened under four sections: New Images comprised 35 recent films by Indian filmmakers, and a few international films about Indians. Working Lives featured an international package of 22 films on labour in the time of globalisation, setting the stage to reflect upon the relationship between media and Labour. Other Worlds Are Breathing, a collection of 22 films originally shown at the World Social Forum at Brazil in 2005 attempted to explore alternatives to neo-liberal, capitalistic globalisation through the medium of films. Directors Cut featured 10 films by invited Indian documentary filmmakers, who also showed a film each of their choice. The set of filmmakers represented the diversity of documentary films in India, and Directors Cut was an attempt to explore this diversity, and contemplate a future. Additionally, each day, and in each auditorium, Open Space was reserved for ISF participants to register films directly. With the large number of filmmakers who were present for discussions after screenings of their films, including all the 10 filmmakers invited for the crowd-pulling Directors Cut, the audience grew day by day. From serial film buffs to first-time festival-goers, the diversity and sheer numbers of the audience surpassed all expectations. The Public ka Multiplex did draw in the public after all. |
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