The Asia Society presented the third annual three-day South Asia Human Rights Festival from April 7- 9, 2005 for a receptive audience .

Undoubtedly reinforcing the viewers’ concern for extensive past and present human rights violations, the organizers succeeded in selecting productions which linked South East Asian issues to problems faced by advanced industrial societies as well. Thus the productions included the first Indian feature film on HIV/AIDS, Phir MiLinge / We will meet again by Rervathy Menon, 2004), a Pakistani video docudrama on the appeal of Islamic fundamentalism, Khamosh Pani – Silent Waters by Sabiha Sumar, 2003; and the didactic documentary Love for a Longer Life on HIV/AIDS conditions in Nepal produced in 2002 by Dhurba Basnet. Facing the Future by Aminul Islam, 2002, a harrowing and gruesome video, rather difficult to watch documentary from Bangladesh graphically depicted violence against women as committed through acid attacks, and Crossing the Lines a superbly balanced documentary on the conflicts over Kashmir besetting India and Pakistan were central to the festival program. This documentary was probably the best one selected. Directed by Pervez Hoodboy and Zia Mian in 2004, Crossing the Line featured the first cooperation of Pakistani and Indian filmmakers and was screened on television in both countries. It may very well be that this production is so outstanding since both directors are university based scientist rather than solely professional film makers.

Ironically the superbly staged, acted and filmed Bengali feature Choker Bali – A Passion Play by Ritupano Gosh may have a better chance of gaining a larger audience in the US
than the other issue oriented productions at the festival. Based on Rabindranath Tagore’s novel Choker Bali, this complex multi layered film depicts the plight and eventual struggle for freedom of a beautiful young widow, Binodini in 1902 -05 in conflict ridden Bengal. Played by Aishwarya Rai, arguably the most beautiful contemporary actress, Binodini is caught up in a social web of an aristocratic landowning household . Enmeshed in shifting triangles with a young dandy and his wife and his intellectual friend Binodini tries to escape from her role as a deprived widow and thus the strict Hindu code of conduct. This film is on par with the best period pieces of Western film making.


Claus Mueller, New York correspondent
cmueller@hunter.cuny.edu