Jahnu Barua's 'Ajeyo' to open film fest by CHRI

Critically acclaimed filmmaker Jahnu Barua's drama "Ajeyo" will open the second edition of 'Matter of Right(s)', a two-day film festival by Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) here on March 13.

"Ajeyo" depicts the story of an honest, ideal revolutionary youth who fought against the social evils in rural Assam during the Indian freedom movement. It was adjudged the Best Feature Film in Assamese at the 61st National Film Awards.

It is one of the specially curated and critically acclaimed Indian and international films, including documentaries, to be showcased at the event.

There will be a special focus on the Pacific Islands, and the films will provide an insight into the lives of people in this geography and look at issues such as child abuse, witchcraft and superstition, and revenge.

The festival marks the 25th anniversary in India of CHRI, an independent, non-partisan, non-profit, international non-governmental organisation, which works in the field of human rights in the countries of the commonwealth.

To honour Nelson Mandela, the revolutionary South African anti-apartheid leader, the festival will showcase Discovery Channel's "Nelson Mandela" to commemorate his centenary.

Other films to be screened will focus on themes like police brutality, the rights of convicts, children born in prison and civil and political rights.

Malati Rao's "Behind Bars" on children born in prison, and Amitabh Parashar's "The Eyes of Darkness", inspired by the Bhagalpur blindings.

"Visual media leaves a lasting impact. We believe that films cut across a range of human emotions, provoking questions and encouraging reflection on critical issues of rights, and so CHRI came out with this idea of organising a film festival on human rights. We plan to make it an annual event so that people, especially the youth, could be sensitised about human rights," Sanjoy Hazarika, International Director, CHRI, said in a statement.

Their first festival, in March 2017, showcased films and documentaries that focused on child labour, migration, tribal rights, police excesses, violence against women and minorities.

--IANS

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