Thiruvananthapuram: The Centre has denied showcasing three short films including a 45-minute documentary on Rohit Vemula to participate in the International Documentary and Short Film Festival, starting from June 16.
As per DC, ‘The Unbearable Being of Lightness’, the documentary about JNU Dalit scholar Rohit Vemula, who allegedly committed suicide, ‘In the Shade of Fallen Chinar’, about the lives of a group of young Kashmiri artists who are also students, ‘March March March’ on the JNU protests were among the names that did not get a nod from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to be screened at the festival, the organisers said.
Criticising the refusal, Kerala Chalachitra Academy Chairman and Festival Director Kamal said there is a ‘cultural emergency’ prevailing in the country.
“We are going through an undeclared emergency in the country. What we should eat, what we should wear, what we should talk all this is being decided by the ruling dispensation”, he told.
At least 262 short films and documentaries are expected to be screened at the five-day festival, Vice Chairman and Artistic director Bina Paul said. The festival is being organised by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy for showcasing the culture of documentaries and short films by this very move of the artistic academy. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the festival at the Tagore Theatre on June 16.