India Holds International Disability Film Festival

Stars and directors from Bollywood joined with high level government officials and other civic leaders in New Delhi in September to inaugurate India's 2 nd International Special Film Festival. The first one in 2003 featured 14 films and this one showcased 26 films and documentaries from India, Italy, France, Israel, Japan, China and the U.S.

Jointly sponsored by Brotherhood and Action Aid India Society, the festival was opened September 8 by Ms. Revathy Menon and Nandita Das, eminent actresses, Mr. Gulzar, the legendary director of Hindi films, Dr. Uma Tuli, India's Chief Disability Commissioner, and Ms. Meira Kumar, Union Minister for Social Justice. Ms. Das, a volunteer with disability groups, stated that: "Most films reflect existing societal attitudes of prejudice and lack of awareness about disability in society." Revathy anchors a radio program, "Towards Ability."

The aim of the film festival was to "create awareness about disability issues through the medium of films and to foster integration in society by spreading the message of ability." The event had the support of the Indian Film Insitute, several major companies such as Indian Airlines and Delhi Tourism, many embassies and the Children's Film Society of India.

Several of the Indian films shown were full-length features such as "Anjali," a 1990 film starring Ms. Revathy as a sensitive mother of a child with cerebral palsy; "Koshish," a 1972 film directed by Mr. Gulzar an acclaimed portrait of a deaf couple; "Tera Mera Saath Rahein," focusing on the relationship between two brothers, one with a cognitive impairment; and "Koi Mil Gaya," a 2003 film whose synopsis sounds like a cross between "E.T." and "Forrest Gump."

Films from other countries included the French classic, "In the Land of the Deaf," an Italian film, "A Heart Elsewhere," the Israeli feature, "My Mother's First Olympics," and "Children of a Lesser God" and "Born on the 4 th of July" from the U.S.

Some disability groups were unimpressed with the films. Javed Abidi, Convenor of the Disablity Rights Group, an umbrella organization, stated that, "Most of the films are quite conventional - I have hardly seen any good film on disabled persons...and in one film a disabled boy becomes powerful through magic, making it sound like a fairy tale."   Sudha Balchandran, Director of the National Society for Equal Opportunities for the Handicapped (NASEOH), said she too was critical, pointing out, "The media should depict ability not disability."

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