|
By Arshia Sattar Two short films that show how alternative communities can be formed and sustained
English and Hindi with subtitles, 19 mins
English and Marathi with subtitles, 10 mins
Directed and Produced by Eland Productions
Choosing such diverse institutions as the Indian Army, with its wealth, power and infrastructure, and a tiny home funded through private donations and run by volunteers, Eland Films takes a sympathetic look at those who live with disadvantage in and around Pune. Warriors on Wheels is set at the Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre (PRC) in Kirkee, Pune. All the inhabitants are men injured in battle or in the line of duty; each has a spinal cord injury. Apart from treating the men, taking care of their physical needs and ensuring their therapies, the PRC also works to train those who do have the use of their arms to work at various jobs, ranging from the manufacture of small industrial parts, to running local phone booths. Appropriate family accommodation is also provided, and families (particularly wives) are trained to take care of special needs. Depending on the extent of their injuries, former servicemen make tea, play the mouth organ, go shopping, drive and play competitive sports. What we see is a thriving little community that has been created and nurtured by the military medical establishment. Manavya tells a different but no less heart-warming story, this time about a small, independent institution that cares for children who are HIV-positive. Gokul, in Bhugaon, outside Pune, was started by Vijayatai Lawate in 1997. The children housed there (most of them abandoned and destitute) receive medical treatment (including anti-retroviral therapy), balanced diets, an education and lots of love and affection. Volunteers and doctors speak with irony about the levels of prejudice that they have to deal with in their work -- parents, neighbours and friends all ask whether or not they will be infected. Children from the institution used to go to the local school but were stoned and bullied by others. Now, a teacher comes to Gokul to teach them. This short film ends with a plea for more public awareness programmes about HIV infection: how we can work against the prejudice and the stigma and how we can prevent the spread of the virus. These two short, simple films show us how alternative communities can be formed and sustained through common need and sympathy; communities that are as full of life, love and joy as the ones we live in with all our advantages and privileges. For more information, contact:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
';
document.write( '' );
document.write( addy_text19021 );
document.write( '<\/a>' );
//-->\n This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
InfoChange News and Features, June 2005
|
