MIFF: First day first show

Monday morning, 29^th January, marks the beginning of the 15^th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) for Documentaries, Shorts and Animation Films. So which will be the first films at each venue? I have already given you the choice you have if you make it to Auditorium 1, Films Division Complex, at 10.30 am. You will be watching a film in the International Competition section:

At Audi 2, it will be a screening in the Prism, National section. The film is called

The Germ (Keedanu)/ Dir: Jayeshlal K, Linda Susan Mathew & Nazeer M Sab / Short Fiction/ Malayalam/ 08 Min. Made by the students of the Short Term Course in Digital Film Making at the L.V. Prasad Academy was screened in the Competition Section of Campus Film Category of the 10th Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram during June 2107.

Now, we move to J.B. Hall F.D. Complex. A Special Package of Students’ Films greets us here. I have given you a glimpse of the first film there, at 9 a.m., but here’s a snapshot again

Redundant (Baatil)/ Dir: Saddam Hussen /05 Min (probably an error; it is 02 min 04 sec)./ Bengali / India/2017

Change in socio-economic status adversely affects the individual's way of life after retirement from formal employment. A feeling of low self-worth may be felt due to the loss of earning power and social recognition, negligence by family members, not being consulted for making any decisions, considering oneself to be a burden on the family, among other. According to an estimate, nearly 40% of senior citizens living with their families are reportedly facing abuse of one kind or another, but only 1 in 6 cases actually comes to light. Many of them suffer in silence as they fear humiliation or are too scared to speak up.

RRIII is the name of the fourth venue, also located within the F.D. Complex. At 10.30 am here, you will be watching a film in the Homage Section titled Sabin Alun (Broken Song)/ Dir: Altaf Mazid Rija/ 52 min/India/2015.

This film was shown at MIFF 2016 too. The Broken Song examines the oral singing traditions of the Karbi tribe from Assam. One of the stories that has passed down the generations is a local version of the epic, Ramayana, in which Sita is called Sinta, the brothers are named Ram and Lokon, and the villain is Ravon. Sabin is the other name for Shurpanakha, whose nose is cut off by Laxman, forcing Ravana into taking revenge for her humiliation, by abducting Ram’s wife, Sita. Altaf passed away in April 2016. Besides being a film-maker, he was well-known critic and a member of FIPRESCI. I had occasion to meet him and his brother, Ahsan Muzid, at IFFI and MIFF

Cross the road (carefully, for the number of cars speeding by hardly ceases) and walk up a bit. You will find yourself at the Russian Cultural Center. A Special package on environment is scheduled there, kicking off at 10.15 a.m., the first of which is

The Race to Save the Amur Falcon /Dir: Shekhar Dattatri/ 20 min/ India/ 2016

In the state of Nagaland, in India’s far northeast, a small team of conservationists discovered something that was both enthralling and alarming. It was the winter of 2012, when they stumbled upon a vast congregation of Amur falcons around a remote reservoir. Simultaneously, they also witnessed local hunters capture and slaughter tens of thousands of the little raptors for consumption.

This is the story of the investigative documentation that followed, and the campaign that was launched to save the migrating falcons. Produced by Shekar Dattatri, from footage contributed by many photographers, this 20-min film seeks to inspire its audience. In a world where conservation successes are few and far between, the campaign to save the Amur falcon shows us how a small group of determined people can still make a big difference