MenEngage Global Alliance, Centre for Health and Social Justice &
International Association of Women in Radio & Television
in association with
School of Arts & Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University
present
MEN AND BOYS FOR GENDER JUSTICE
FILM FESTIVAL 2014
6 - 9 November 2014
School of Arts and Aesthetics Auditorium
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
Thursday 6 November A THEMATIC-‐CINEMATIC SELECTION 5.00 pm – 8.00 pm 5.00 pm Inauguration 20 min 5.20 pm Valeria Sarmiento A MAN, WHEN HE IS A MAN Costa Rica-‐Chile| 1982 | Spanish 66 min Set in Costa Rica and touched with dark humour, this stylistically
imaginative documentary illuminates the social climate and cultural
traditions which nurture machismo and allow the domination of women
to flourish in Latin America.
6.30 pm Breakthrough BELL BAJAO: Bus Driver; Knock Knock; Ring Ring India | 2007 | 3 fiction shorts (PSA) | Hindi 3 min These PSAs or public service announcements were created for
Breakthrough’s signature campaign Bell Bajao (Ring the Bell) which urged
men and boys to take a stand against violence against women. The
campaign won 25 awards, both nationally and internationally.
6.40 pm Karan Butani VALMIKI KI BANDOOK India | 2010 | fiction | Hindi 23-year-old RadheShyam wants to be acknowledged as a “man”, and
feels the only way he can prove his masculinity in his community and
among his peers is by possessing a double-barreled gun. The narrative
of his journey provides a humorous take on the weapon culture
predominant in some parts of North India.
17 min 7.00 pm Vinoo Choliparambil VITTHAL India | 2008 | fiction | Marathi 24 min Followed by discussion with filmmaker
After the death of his grandfather, 12-year-old Vitthal’s parents forcibly
shave off his head, in keeping with Hindu death rituals. The boy is angry
and resentful. His self-image is shattered.
7.40 pm Aritra Sarkar PRANER MANUSH (The One Within) India | 2012 | fiction | Bengali, English 15 min Followed by discussion with the filmmaker
Set entirely in a hospital, the film revolves around a young man, and his
relationships with his mother and his lover.
Friday 7 November HEALTH AND WELL-‐BEING 10.00 am – 1.15 pm 10.00 am 10.10 am Introducing the session Aaradhana Kohli Kapur Kristoffer Kiørboe NORTHERN LIGHTS Denmark | 2009 | Danish 10 min 27 min This is a film about two brothers who, in different ways, stand unsure in
the world. They set off to find the Northern Lights. But how do you find
the light within yourself?
10.40 am Sarnath Banerjee HAKIM TARTOOSI'S POTENCY OIL India | 2001 | animation | English, Hindi, Bengali An uninhibited caricature of male anxieties derived from sexual myths,
21 min this clay animation short is full of playful irreverence. Endearing
characters take us on a joyful ride through the world of macho men,
adult videos and mysterious elixirs.
11.00 am 11.15 am Tea Break Aditya Seth BAHADUR: The Accidental Brave Nepal-‐India | 2011 | Nepali, English Followed by discussion with the filmmaker For decades, a combination of rural poverty and political instability has
driven thousands of Nepali men south across the open border with
India. Far western Nepal is reeling under the impact of an HIV microepidemic with women and children at its core.
53 min 12.15 pm 1.00 pm DISCUSSION The male ego – obstacle to sexual and general health? Reena Nath, Dr. Premdas Dominique Chadwick SEEKING SAFETY: Stepping Stones in Malawi Malawi | 2013 | Chichewa Followed by discussion with Steven Iphani 45 min 13 min The film highlights the importance of developing good gender
relationships through negotiations around money, medication and
condom use in the context of HIV, GBV (gender-based violence) and
SRHR (sexual and reproductive health and rights)
1.15 pm Lunch VIOLENCE 2.15 pm– 5.00 pm 2.15 pm 2.25 pm Introducing the session Manak Matiyani Jackson Katz VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN – IT’S A MEN’S ISSUE USA | 2013 | English | TEDxFiDi Women 10 min 19 min Domestic violence and sexual abuse are often dismissed as “women’s
issues”. But in this bold, blunt talk, Jackson Katz points out that these
are intrinsically men’s issues — and shows how these violent behaviours
are tied to definitions of manhood.
2.45 pm Paw Charlie Ravn TWO FRIENDS Denmark | 2010 | animation | Danish 8 min Albert and his best friend Jonas are orphaned children. They live in a
harsh dystopia of the future, where the women and other children are
all dead. The men have begun to yearn for a woman’s body. A film
about friends sticking together against all odds in a world where hope is
fading fast.
2.55 pm Lucinda Broadbent MACHO Nicaragua-‐Scotland | 2000 | Spanish 26 min Macho tells that story, and offers glimpses of the methods used by Men
Against Violence to discuss the abuse of power and the damage it
causes families and communities. Despite living and working in one of
the most destitute countries in Latin America, this group has evolved a
model that is now used worldwide by other groups working with men
and boys for gender justice.
3.25 pm Center for Digital Storytelling SILENCE SPEAKS: James’ story (South Africa, 4 min) Omar’s story (Belize, 3 min) 2007-‐14 | English 7min These first-person pieces were created through a participatory process,
with control over story content and images firmly in the hands of the
storytellers. As a series, they demonstrate the courage of individual
men in taking a stand against the exploitation of women. For this
package, we have selected just 5 shorts of many.
3.35 pm Virginia Lacayo, Amy Bank GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN Nicaragua | 2007 | TV series: Sixth Sense | Spanish 18 min Teenagers confront machismo every day – at school, with their friends,
in relationships. There is a dominating boyfriend, pressure to have sex,
a violent father, homophobia and sexual violence. Sofia, Elena, Gabriel,
Angel and Frankie become stronger by facing these situations and
"going against the grain".
3.55 pm 4.05 pm Oh, man! (or, Who’s afraid of the big macho stereotype?) Observations & Discussion: Nandini Rao Must Bol VOICES AGAINST VIOLENCE: Don’t Be a Clown (4 min); Shit People Say (3 min); The Fine Line (2 min) India | 2012 | fiction (campaign) | Hindi, some English text 10 min 9 min Followed by discussion with the filmmakers
The 20 shorts chosen for this festival, from among many more, were
made as part of the Must Bol campaign against gender-based violence.
They raise critical questions about oppressive gender norms and
stereotypes, issues of consent and violence in relationships, sexual
harassment and homophobia.
4.25 pm Ankur Bansal MAULA BAKSH DE India | 2014 | fiction | Hindi 12 min Followed by discussion with the filmmaker A Hindu man teaches a course at a madrasa. A warm relationship
develops between him and one of the students, an orphan, and he
wishes to adopt the boy – promising to raise him as a Muslim.
4.50 pm 5.00 pm DISCUSSION From sexism to fundamentalism – straight line or twisted arc? Manak Matiyani, Nandini Rao, Shehla Rashid Tea break 30 min CARING, RELATIONSHIPS AND EMOTIONS 5.30 pm – 8.00 pm 5.30 pm 5.40 pm Introducing the session Anupama Srinivasan Selcen Ergun A SUNNY DAY Turkey | 2011 | fiction | Turkish 10 min 7 min Ahmet's adventures start with his circumcision at the age of five and
continue till he is thirty, as he experiences all the unique stages of
“becoming a man” in Turkey.
5.50 pm Vidya Sagar Suresh ARIVU India | 2013 | fiction | Kannada 11 min A doting son who is taking care of his ailing mother runs out of steam.
Then, through an emotional journey of self-inquiry, he moves from his
agony, suffering and pessimism towards love, compassion and hope,
thus finding his bearings again. The Kannada word “arivu” means “to
understand, to know”.
6.00 pm Nathan Golon MENCARE – CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA South Africa-‐USA | 2014 | English 9 min In an impoverished township outside Cape Town, a baby is only a
month away from coming into the world. As the young parents prepare
for their first child, the uncle-to-be, a single father, shares his thoughts
on being a good dad. Some men embrace new ways of being men,
while others begin to unlearn their old violent ways.
6.10 pm Visa Koiso-‐Kanttila FATHER TO SON Finland | 2004 | Finnish 70 min Followed by discussion with the filmmaker The first film of a trilogy about fathers and sons, this is the director's
personal voyage into the history of his family and his own relationship
with his father.
7.40 pm Discussion Uma Chakravarti, Manak Matiyani, Visa Koiso-‐Kanttila 40 min Saturday 8 November SEXUALITIES, IDENTITIES 10.00 am – 1.15 pm 10.00 am 10.10 am Introducing the session Manak Matiyani Peque Varela 1977 UK | 2007 | animation | non-‐verbal 10 min 8 min Animation merges with personal photographs to tell the story of a girl
in a conservative community struggling to come to terms with her
gender identity.
10.20 am Kim Longinotto, Jano Williams SHINJUKU BOYS Japan-‐UK | 1993 | Japanese 53 min At the centre of this classic documentary are three onnabe who work as
hosts at the New Marilyn Club in Tokyo. Onnabes are persons assigned
gender female at birth who identify as masculine or male. This is an
intriguing and moving portrayal of some of the complexities of
sexuality and gender in modern Japan.
11.15 am 11.30 am Tea Break Sheetal Gokhale, B Prasad THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS India | 2006 | fiction | Hindi 8 min One afternoon, a young man is caught by his sister experimenting with
her clothes and make-up. The film questions the gender identities that
society enforces on everyone.
11.40 am Ajita Chowhan, Rintu Thomas, Sumit Sharma, Sushmit Ghosh FLYING INSIDE MY BODY India | 2008 | English 36 min Followed by discussion with the filmmaker
The film is a journey with veteran photographer Sunil Gupta, who uses
his art to document queer people and histories while challenging
stereotypes about the body, sexuality and identity. The film's lyrical
style marries still photography with moving images.
12.30 pm John Meletse I HAVE TWO South Africa | 2004 | English This short encapsulates the frustrations of a man who, in different
spaces, is marginalised either by his sexuality or by his disability. 4 min 12.35 pm Must Bol VOICES AGAINST VIOLENCE: Move On (1 min); Labels (1 min) India | 2012 | fiction (campaign) | Hindi, some English text 2 min Followed by discussion with the filmmaker
The 20 shorts chosen for this festival, from among many more, were
made as part of the Must Bol campaign against gender-based violence.
The shorts raise critical questions about oppressive gender norms and
stereotypes, issues of consent and violence in relationships, sexual
harassment and homophobia.
12.40 pm 1.15 pm Discussion Manak Matiyani, Gautam Bhan, Mario da Penha Lunch break POVERTY AND WORK 2.15 pm – 5.00 pm 45 min 2.15 pm 2.25 pm Introducing the session Aaradhana Kohli Kapur Hamed Alizadeh CHECK POINT Afghanistan | 2011 | Dari 10 min 29 min 15 policemen inspect all the cars that enter the city centre from
Dehbori district. These men, recruited from different provinces to
maintain the security of Kabul city, stay cooped together in three green
containers with the barest living facilities.
3.00 pm Yasmine Kabir MY MIGRANT SOUL Bangladesh | 2000 | Bengali 34 min Shahjahan Babu, a migrant worker, left the poverty of his life in
Bangladesh for work in Malaysia that was meant to improve his family’s
chances of survival. Babu sent home audiotapes, in which he recounted
his bitter experiences in Malaysia. The camera is the medium through
which Babu tells us his story posthumously, along with his grief-stricken
mother and sister.
3.35 pm Gitanjali Rao TRUELOVESTORY India | 2014 | animation | non-‐verbal 19 min Followed by discussion with the filmmaker
A painted ode to romance, the film is a journey through the seductive,
treacherous streets of Bombay. In a city soaked in Bollywood dreams, it
moves from the fantastical to the viscerally real.
3.55 pm Jocelyn Lehrer from THE MEN’S STORY PROJECT: OUT LOUD! Trailer (4 min); Dignity – manual labour, classism (9 min) Chile | 2013 | Spanish 13 min Followed by discussion with the filmmaker
With unusual candour, diverse Chilean men share personal stories with
a live audience at a popular theatre in Santiago. Making use of prose,
comedy, dance, photography and video, the stories critically explore
social ideas about masculinity and gender relations in Chile.
4.15 pm 5.00 pm Discussion CHSJ, Pamela Philipose Tea break 45 min TRACKING INTERSECTIONS 5.30 pm – 8.00 pm 5.30 pm 5.40 pm Introducing the session Smriti Nevatia Jocelyn Lehrer from THE MEN’S STORY PROJECT: OUT LOUD! Trailer (4 min); Life...Simply Life (14 min) or Trans De/Constructions (16 min) Chile | 2013 | Spanish 10 min 20 min With unusual candour, diverse Chilean men share personal stories with
a live audience at a popular theatre in Santiago. Making use of prose,
comedy, dance, photography and video, the stories critically explore
social ideas about masculinity and gender relations
6.00 pm Kinshuk Surjan POLA India | 2012 | fiction | Hindi 15 min The story is set in the context of the widespread farmers’ suicides in
India. Bittu is a carefree and boisterous 9-year-old who grows anxious
as he watches his father break down slowly under the pressure of debt.
Bittu tries to protect his father in whatever ways he can. Despite all
their hardships, the farmers still celebrate the festival of Pola as a
tribute to their livelihood.
6.15 pm Kavita Bahl, Nandan Saxena CANDLES IN THE WIND India I 2013 I Hindi, Punjabi, some English Against the backdrop of non-remunerative agriculture in Punjab, farmer
suicides are escalating. As the widows learn to cope with their loss
within the ambit of their altered social and economic reality, they renegotiate the rules of engagement and the politics of male domination
in their bid to survive. The film brings us a nuanced understanding of
the silent undercurrents of their gender-specific struggle.
52 min 7.15 pm 45 min DISCUSSION Unquestioned masculinities – dangerous at best, fatal at worst Radhika Chopra, Jocelyn, Kavita, Nandan Sunday 9 November PEACE BUILDING, SOCIAL JUSTICE, INCLUSION 10.30 am – 1.15 pm 10.00 am Introducing the session Aaradhana Kapur Kohli 10 min 10.10 am Gauri Shinde RESPECT FOR WOMEN: Coffee Maker; Mixer; Juicer; Iron India |2014 | 4 fiction shorts (TVC) | 30 sec each | Hindi 2 min As women in a range of situations assert their personhood, the idea
behind this much-discussed campaign from the Lintas Lowe advertising
agency is simple: women are not kitchen appliances.
10.15 am Must Bol VOICES AGAINST VIOLENCE: Chocolate (1min); Consent is Key (2 min) India | 2012 | fiction shorts | Hindi, some English text
3 min Followed by discussion with the filmmakers
The 20 shorts chosen for this festival, from among many more, were
made as part of the Must Bol campaign against gender-based violence.
The purpose was to help young volunteers create and use digital
stories to talk about gender issues, including the pressure to perform
masculinities in a patriarchal context. The shorts raise critical questions
about oppressive gender norms and stereotypes, issues of consent and
violence in relationships, sexual harassment and homophobia.
10.30 am Devayush Chowdhary THE OTHERS USA | 2013 | live action & animation| English 16 min Followed by discussion with the filmmaker
This short fiction film tries to explore complex questions of truth,
society, and power through the story of Katrina, a timid young girl who
lives in New York City and fancies her boss, one of the richest men in
Manhattan. Through the use of various kinds of animation along with
live action, The Others tells a stark story of violence and retribution.
11.00 am 11.20 am Tea Break Tangella Madhavi LISTEN LITTLE MAN India | 2007 | English The film explores the tradition of ragging in educational institutes
through the experiences of students, as well as their families and
friends who have been affected by it and protested against it. A
connection unfolds between ragging and larger forms of violence in
29 min society, which involve following orders without questioning them.
11.50 am Lalit Vachani THE BOY IN THE BRANCH India | 1993 |Hindi, English 27 min The RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) is India’s foremost Hindu
fundamentalist organisation. The film juxtaposes the activities of two
different RSS shakhas or branches in Nagpur, where the RSS has its
headquarters.
12.20 pm DISCUSSION They make a desolation and call it peace Ira Bhaskar, Devayush Chowdhary, Aaradhana 45 min 1.15 pm Lunch THE MAKING OF MEN: FROM MASCULINITY TO HUMANITY 2.15 pm – 5.00 pm 2.15 pm 2.25 pm Introducing the session Manak Matiyani Must Bol VOICES AGAINST VIOLENCE: I Let Be I (4 min) Lesser Man (4 min) India | 2012 | fiction shorts | Hindi, some English text 10 min 8 min Followed by discussion with the filmmakers
The 20 shorts chosen for this festival, from among many more, were
made as part of the Must Bol campaign against gender-based violence.
The shorts raise critical questions about oppressive gender norms and
stereotypes, issues of consent and violence in relationships, sexual
harassment and homophobia
2.35 pm Nazli Deniz Güler 1/2/3 Turkey| 2010 |fiction | 8 min | Turkish 8 min Ahment's adventures start from his circumcision from the age of five
and continue till he is thirty, as he experiences all the stages of
''becoming a man'' in Turkey.
2.45 pm Mayenzeke Baza I AM A MAN South Africa | 2013 | 24 min | Xhosa, English In Xhosa culture, ukwaluka – being circumcised – is as sure as taxes.
Just as Jewish boys are circumcised and have a bar mitzvah, Xhosa
boys go to the bush. The ritual is an ancient tradition in South African
societal structures; however, currently there is a problem. Young men
are dying. The film goes in search of the reasons why communities still
go through with it when they know the dangers. Does having your
foreskin cut off in early adulthood truly make you a man?
24 min 3.10 pm Harjant Gill MARDISTAN (MACHOLAND) India | 2014 | Punjabi, Hindi, English 27 min Followed by discussion with Abhishek Sharma (Co-writer & Asst. Director)
A writer attempts to make sense of the physical and sexual abuse he
witnessed while at an elite military academy; a working class father of
twin daughters resists the social pressure to have a son; a college
student searches for a girlfriend with whom he can lose his virginity; a
gay man decides to come out to his wife after nearly 20 years of
marriage. Through the experiences of these four men, the film explores
notions of manhood in a rapidly globalising India, and reflects on the
entrenched patriarchy and gendered violence present in a society
increasingly defined by inequalities.
3.40 pm Martha Clarissa Hernández, Amy Bank NEITHER BOSS NOR BULLY Nicaragua | 2013 | TV series: Sixth Sense | Spanish 18 min José Roberto wants to be a good husband and father, but his
machismo threatens to tear apart his family. To get back the people he
loves the most, he has to change.
4.00 pm Samata Jadhav, Pradeep Paralkar, Amol Lalzare, Yashodhara Salve SOCH SAHI, MARD WAHI India | 2011| Hindi What does it take be a “real man”? What does a “real man” look like?
19 min Does using abusive language affirm one’s masculinity? What effect
does this have on how children are socialised? Does caring for one’s
family and helping with housework make one less of a man? The film
looks at these issues through the eyes of ordinary men and women in
Mumbai.
4.20 pm 5.00 pm Discussion Manak Matiyani, Sehjo Singh, Abhishek Sharma Tea break CLOSING FILMS 5.30 pm – 8.15 pm 40 min 5.30 pm Nia Dinata A LITTLE PIECE OF HEAVEN IN BONDOWOSO Indonesia | 2013 | Indonesian A religious teacher at a madrasa in Bondowoso becomes a role model
in the community, preaching what he practises. He values gender
equality, and shares household chores and childcare duties with his
wife. 15 min 6.00 pm Andreas Koefoed A DAY IN THE SMOKE Egypt-‐Denmark | 2008 | Arabic 29 min At the far end of a dark Cairo alley sits a café that never closes – and
never sleeps. Sitting alone, a young man writes down poetry from what
he sees and hears and remembers. A colourful glimpse of Egyptian
diversity just before the country’s recent revolution. 6.30 pm Nadia Zouaoui, Carmen Garcia NADIA’S JOURNEY Algeria-‐Canada | 2006 | French, Berber 75 min When Nadia Zouaoui was 19, her parents forced her into an arranged
marriage with an Algerian man living in Montreal, who was twice her
age. In this film, she returns to her village in Algeria years later to see if
things have changed. Her journey is a hellish voyage into a patriarchal
culture that keeps women in servitude, a society obsessed with female
virginity. She depicts with clarity and intimacy the cruelty endured even
to this day by so many girls and women held captive in their homes.
7.45 pm DISCUSSION Renegotiating the male space Manak Matiyani, Radhika Chopra 30 min