A film by Sourav Sarangi
Duration: 40 minutes/ 2020/ Bengali with English subtitles
Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussain knew that he would be killed the next day. His caravan with a retinue comprising approximately hundred companions and some animals was surrounded by an army of thousands. Despite his requests to be left alone, his family and followers refused to desert him. Husain, along with most of his family members who had wanted justice from the Syrian dynasty, had to pay with their lives at the battle of Karbala in October 608 AD. This event would have remained a footnote in the pages of human history had it not been for the annual Arba’een Walk where millions of pilgrims visit Karbala by foot to pay homage to Hussain’s sacrifice. This film looks at Hussain’s martyrdom from the perspective of an Indian who accidentally happens to be in the ancient land that has been ravaged by war, extremism and autocracy. The narrative merges his childhood memories with immensely disturbing contemporary realities. His eyes follow the pilgrims’ progress, listening to their ballads or personal interpretations of history. This film seeks peace and love for humanity in our turbulent times.
© Sourav Sarangi
Sourav Sarangi is one of the most prominent film makers from South Asia. His debut film, “Tusu Katha” (The Tale of Tusu) was based on the lives of marginal people and their culture in Eastern India. Later he made a number of regional television fictions. His documentary “Bilal”, story of a little kid living with blind parents received a huge response worldwide in festivals, theatres and TV stations winning many awards. His film “Moddhikhane Char” (CHAR… the No-Man’s Island) is a feature documentary testifying his command over the storytelling and love for the people. The film has also received many awards in major international festivals. Recently he completed the documentary titled “Karbala Memoirs” shot in Iraq. Sourav studied film editing at Film and Television Institute of India. He has also conducted many workshops and served as international jury on many occasions.
ACCOLADES
Festivals:
Mumbai International Film Festival(MIFF), India, 2020
13th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival, Korea, 2020
26th Kolkata International Film Festival(KIFF), India, 2020
4th South Asian Short Film Festival (SASFF), India, 2021
4th MULTICULTURAL Film Festival, Toronto, Canada, 2021
Award:
Satyajit Ray Golden Award, Best Documentary, 4th South Asian Short Film Festival (SASFF), 2021
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You can watch the film here.
After the screening on 23 February 2022 from 6:30 pm IST, from 7:30 pm IST, you can join a live discussion about the film between the filmmaker Sourav Sarangi and filmmaker, artist and writer Nilanjan Bhattacharya on Facebook which will be open to all.
Kindly click here to participate in the open discussion.
You can ask questions by writing in the 'comment' section while the live stream of the discussion is being broadcast.
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