Ankur Film Fest ends with movies on social issues

NASHIK: The fifth edition of Nashik’s Ankur Film Festival concluded on Sunday with screening of movie ‘Invoking Justice’ directed by Deepa Dhanraj.

The director, who is actively involved in women empowerment since 1980, also made an appearance at the venue and interacted with movie-buffs on various aspects of her film.

The movie presented journey of Muslim women in South India to start their own all-women Jamaat – a body which applies Islamic Sharia law and solves family disputes. The 90 minute movie shows how women acquired power through both communal education and the leaders’ persistent. “Despite enormous resistance, these women have been able to settle more than 8,000 cases in two years. These cases range from divorce to wife-beating to brutal murders and more,” said Dhanraj.

Earlier on Sunday, the screenings started with a four-minute short film Cheed (Anger) showing different emotional aspects. An interesting seven-minute short film on craze of 4G Data also received accolades during the first session. Documentaries on use of helmet, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, female foeticide, man-animal conflict and violence of forest right Acts, were also admired during the day.

The documentary to which Nashikites related the most was ‘Devmamledar Shri Yashwantrao Maharaj’ based on life of great 18th century Saint ‘Devmamledar’ who is worshipped as God by residents of Nashik and Satana. Mitali Joshi — a Nashik girl has been working in the field of theatre, television and film from the last 10 years — conducted an interesting workshop on script writing on Sunday.