The Changing Documentary—Techniques, Tricks and Tri-Conti

Human rights and the documentary are joining forces to powerful effect. Today activists, filmmakers and artists increasingly use the tools of filmmaking to address contemporary issues. The result—independent, innovative and technologically advanced documentary cinema. The art has long been an experimental ground that enables directors to provoke audiences to reflect about innumerable human rights issues. Join the filmmakers at the Tri Continental Film Festival as they discuss the space between issues, art and moving images. Hear from experts working globally about how the techniques of documentaries are evolving to keep pace with modern audiences and contemporary issues, negotiating with new media including the internet and distribution options for documentaries.

Breakthrough’s Tri-Continental Film Festival, India 2009—“Human Rights in Frames” and The Mumbai Festival bring you a panel discussion on “THE CHANGING DOCUMENTARY—TECHNIQUES, TRICKS AND TRI-CONTI”.
The panel consists of five filmmakers whose films are a part of Tri-Continental Film Festival, India 2009. They are Lila Ghobady (Forbidden Sun Dance), Gabriela Guteirrez Dewar (Joint Director, Tapologo) and Kavita Pai (Joint Director, There Was a Queen). Also present at the discussion will be Sally Gutierrez (Joint Director, Tapologo) and Aram Bayat (protagonist in Forbidden Sun Dance). Acclaimed film critic and curator Meenakshi Shedde will moderate the panel discussion.

Join us and meet the filmmakers from the TCFF. Hear from this panel about their own experiences working with stark issues in vulnerable communities and in developing countries.

VENUE:
MMR Room
St. Xavier’s College,
5, Mahapalika Marg,
Mumbai-400 001, India.

DATE:
January 22, 2008

TIME:
6:00 pm-7:00 pm

PANELISTS:

Lila Ghobady
Lila Ghobady got involved with film making while working as a journalist. She began working with an underground documentary film maker, Mo Mansouri, as an assistant director on his film Trial. She has been living in Canada where she migrated as a refugee in 2002. As a part of her Canadian – Women’s Studies Master’s Program, she researched the lives of immigrant women in Canada, their desires, aspirations and achievements. Lila also produced a few secretly made documentaries, Utopia and Epitaph, which deal with Iranian sex-trade workers living under Islamic fundamentalist rule. She made the film Forbidden Sun Dance in 2008.
Read about the director, synopsis and human rights context of the film

Gabriela Guteirrez Dewar
Gabriela Gutiérrez-Dewar has a 12-year experience as a television producer, and is currently co-director of Estación Central de Contenidos, a production company where she works on projects both for TV and feature documentary films. Tapologo is the second project in this line of work apart from a short film Manola.
Read about the director, synopsis and human rights context of the film

Kavita Pai
Kavita Pai is a graduate from the Film and Television Institute of India with a diploma in Editing. Kavita has worked on numerous television programmes and presently works as the Programme Executive at Jnanapravaha, a centre for arts education in Mumbai.
Read about the director, synopsis and human rights context of the film

MODERATOR:
MEENAKSHI SHEDDE is an independent film critic, curator and consultant. She was on the FIPRESCI International Critics’ Jury of the Cannes, Berlin and Venice festivals; Asian Film Award Jury of the Hong Kong International Film Festival; International Jury of the Mar del Plata Film Festival, Argentina and National Film Award Jury. She is India Consultant to the Berlin Film Festival, Asia Correspondent–including India–for the Cannes Film Festival (International Critics’ Week) and key India consultant to the Venice, Toronto, Pusan and Hong Kong film festivals. She curates for festivals worldwide. She contributes to media worldwide, including Variety, Film Comment, Cahiers du Cinema, Sight and Sound, Times of India, DNA and Screen. She has directed a short film, Looking for Amitabh, and line-produced five international documentaries.