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Vikalp@Prithvi
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Vikalp@Prithvi is a monthly series of documentaries and short films brought to you by Vikalp: Films for Freedom in collaboration with Prithvi Theatre in Bombay.

All screenings are free and are held on the last Friday of every month at Prithvi House in Juhu at 7 pm. In the middle of each month we also do an online screening, open to the public for 60 hours.

vikalpscreenings

Q&A with @nausheenkhanfilms Q&A with @nausheenkhanfilms
Vikalp@Prithvi - In-Person Screenings - November Vikalp@Prithvi - In-Person Screenings - November

Watch 'Land of my Dreams' followed by Q&A with Nausheen Khan, the director.

On Friday, 29th November at 7 pm

At Prithvi House, Juhu, Bombay

Entry free, on a first-come-first-seated basis

RSVP at http://bit.ly/vikalp29nov (Link in Bio) or via a DM.

Synopsis:

In 2019, the Indian government enacted the Citizenship Amendment Act, which overtly discriminates against Muslims. Viewing this as discriminatory, intergenerational, multifaith women gathered in Shaheen Bagh, a Muslim neighborhood in Delhi to form a non-violent sit-in that grew into a nationwide movement.

'Land of My Dreams' follows the stories of these women who sustained a peaceful pro-democracy movement for over a hundred days, galvanizing resistance across the country. The film recounts how they weathered institutionalized and societal repression to redefine nationalism and provide a precedent for a new form of public dissent in modern India.

Drawing on her identity as a Muslim woman, the filmmaker questions contemporary notions of belonging, patriotism, and identity in India by examining shared human responses to exclusion, polarization, and repression.

Runtime: 74 minutes

@nausheenkhanfilms @kushashr
Vikalp@Prithvi - Online Screenings - November Wat Vikalp@Prithvi - Online Screenings - November

Watch 'Dhoort?' before November 17 midnight and send your questions for Vinay Agrahari, the director, at vikalpscreenings@gmail.com or via a DM.

Here's the link to watch the film: https://vimeo.com/video/810139500 (Link in Bio)

Synopsis:

A fake wants his progeny to be real in a world full of crooks.

'Dhoort', a socio-family drama, based on real incidents and characters, tackles the issue of the bad healthcare system in India. It revolves around fake doctors and their malpractices. In a patriarchal society, it shows the journey of a Jholachap doctor (a doctor with a fake medical degree), practicing in a small town of Uttar Pradesh, whose dream is to make his son a real doctor. Things start going awry when a local guy joins him as compounder (doctor’s assistant) in his clinic.
Q&A with @nishthajain | Farming the Revolution Q&A with @nishthajain | Farming the Revolution
Q&A - With Director Virendra Valsangkar & Director Q&A - With Director Virendra Valsangkar & Director Janantik Shukla. Video Credits: @subuhijiwani
Vikalp@Prithvi - In-Person Screenings - October W Vikalp@Prithvi - In-Person Screenings - October

Watch 'Farming the Revolution' followed by Q&A with Nishtha Jain, the co-director.

On Friday, 25th October at 7 pm

At Prithvi House, Juhu, Bombay

Entry free, on a first-come-first-seated basis

RSVP at http://bit.ly/FarmingTheRevolution (Link in Bio) or via a DM.

Synopsis: 'Farming the Revolution' takes us to the heart of the massive year-long protests against the Indian government’s then newly enacted farm laws during the COVID lockdown. Over half a million protesters gathered – men and women from all generations, religions, classes and castes – and reinvented co-existence at massive protest sites that burgeoned on the borders of Delhi. The film invites us to experience the everyday textures and indomitable spirit of this historic farmers’ movement – until, finally, victory!

@nishthajain

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Vikalp@Prithvi - Online Screenings - October Watc Vikalp@Prithvi - Online Screenings - October

Watch 'Dharavi Ka Dada Kaun?' between October 11 noon and 13 midnight and send your questions for Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Abir Dasgupta and Amrit Rajkhowa, the filmmakers, at vikalpscreenings@gmail.com or via a DM.

The link to watch the film will be shared at https://bit.ly/OctOnlineFilm (Link in Bio) on October 11 noon.

Synopsis:

Dharavi, one of the world's largest slums and densely-populated areas, located in the heart of Mumbai, India's financial and entertainment capital, is being sought to be redeveloped on an unprecedented scale. The contract to redevelop Dharavi has been given to the Adani group, headed by Gautam Adani, one of the world's richest men who is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Opposition politicians allege that rules were tweaked to favour the Adani group. An estimated 500,000 residents are considered "illegal" and would be displaced. Many residents of Dharavi oppose the redevelopment project. We spoke to dozens of individuals to put together this 43-minute documentary film, which includes two original music videos.

@paranjoygt @d_abir101
Q&A with Vidyut Latay - Documentary film 'Alien' @ Q&A with Vidyut Latay - Documentary film 'Alien' @vidyut.latay
Vikalp@Prithvi - In-Person Screenings - September Vikalp@Prithvi - In-Person Screenings - September

Watch 'Disha Swarajyachi' ('Towards Self Governance') and 'Mulsotan - The Rooted' followed by Q&A with the directors.

On Friday, 27th September at 7 pm

At Prithvi House, Juhu, Bombay

Entry free, on a first-come-first-seated basis

RSVP at www.bit.ly/September27Films (Link in Bio) or at vikalpscreenings@gmail.com.

Synopsis of 'Disha Swarajyachi' directed by Virendra Valsangkar:
Mendha Lekha, a small village of the Gond tribe in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, is a novel example of how people can govern themselves (with consensus!) and use their forest productively.

This documentary tells the story of the struggle of Mendha Lekha's residents to protect the forest surrounding them. The village became the first one in India to acquire forest rights. And this helped its residents acquire financial prosperity and independence.

As a result, Mendha Lekha was able to foster gender equality, love, trust and friendship as well as ensure consensual decision-making and environmental conservation. The story of this village is particularly relevant in today's global scenario.

Synopsis of 'Mulsotan' directed by Janantik Shukla:

This documentary is about the 32-year non-violent struggle of the Vasava tribe in southern Gujarat for their land and forest rights.

The tribe's struggle was supported by Ms. Trupti Parekh and other colleagues at Action Research in Community Health and Development (also known as ARCH-Vahini). 

Gujarat is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, and this film shows how Gandhi’s principles find relevance, even in modern times, in the everyday struggles of the most vulnerable communities. 

Pratiik Bhalawala, the cinematographer, will also join the Q&A session.
Vikalp@Prithvi - Online Screenings - September To Vikalp@Prithvi - Online Screenings - September

To mark the fourth anniversary of Umar Khalid's draconian imprisonment and to demand the release of all political prisoners, watch 'Prisoner No. 626710 is Present' ('कैदी नंबर 626710 हाज़िर है').

When? Before September 15 midnight.

Where? The link to watch the film is https://vimeo.com/1007228760/43fdf3f639 (Link in Bio)

Send your questions for Lalit Vachani, the director, at vikalpscreenings@gmail.com or via a DM. 

Duration: 60 minutes

Synopsis:

On September 13, 2020, Umar Khalid, a charismatic student leader who recently finished his PhD at India’s prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University, was arrested under the draconian UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) – a law that designates individuals as terrorists and allows the Indian state to imprison people without due process.

His crime? As an Indian Muslim, he had dared to protest against the new citizenship law that the Indian state was trying to impose on its people.

Using found footage of his past speeches along with a forensic analysis of how he was framed by the right-wing, Hindu nationalist media, Umar Khalid’s close friends Banojyotsna Lahiri and Shuddhabrata Sengupta reconstruct the chronology of events that led to his tragic imprisonment.

It has been over 1,400 days since Umar Khalid was arrested. He and his friends still await a fair hearing in court.
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