Different themes win at film fest on disability

NEW DELHI - Encouraging braille music, not giving up despite losing both limbs, a cerebral palsy patient eager to live life - films dealing with such subjects were the prize winners at the Seventh International We Care Film Festival on Disability Issues 2010 here Monday.

“Films can be a powerful tool to sensitise general public… these films do away with the confusion and prejudices in the mind. With these films and this fest we are also giving a message to the kids who are our next generation,” said Satish Kapoor, the festival director.

“Disability films are made by only those who understand it and want to do it… it is not about disability, it is about ignorance of ability,” he added.

The fest supports four categories - one minute, five minutes, 30 minutes and 60 minutes.

Films like “Inclusive Education”, “Feel The Music” about encouraging braille music and “Ruk Jana Nahin” about differently abled psychologist Ram Tirath Aggarwal, won in the One minute section.

While films like “Waiting For You” about a cerebral palsy patient in Manipur, “Saksham Lok” and “Virtue” took the honours in the Five minute section.

In the 30 and 60 minute sections, foreign films took away the honours.

While Israeli film “Where To” about hearing impaired women in an Israel village and “Beyond Borders” about differently abled individuals from Belgium won in the former section.

These were followed by “More than Walking” from the US.

“White Balance” another film from Israel, about a person coming to terms with his hearing disability, won in the 60 minute section.

A Special Jury Award went to the film “Tees” by Pankhuri Wadhwa, Akash Jain and Abhiraj Singh Shatawat for the manner in which it depicts how an attitude of perceived pity can lead to virtual mental disability.

A special mention of the film “Delicate Patterns” by Reji Syne for imparting crucial knowledge on cerebral palsy and related mental disorders was also made.

The ceremony was held in the auditorium of the Indian Spinal Injuries Center here. The certification was handed over by Mukul Wasnik, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment with Minister of State D. Napoleon who also sang at the event.

The festival with 32 films travelled to 18 institutions in India with Delhi being the eighth venue. The winning films were chosen through a Participatory Rating Process by students at these institutions.

It was co-organised by an NGO, Brotherhood, United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), the National Trust, the Asian Academy of Film and Television (AAFT), Sparsh and Mother’s Pride.