 |
| Ahimsa - Gandhi: The Power of the Powerless shows the global impact of Gandhian message of non-violence: Director Ramesh Sharma |
NEW DELHI (Lampe):- The IFFI 51 Indian Panorama Non Feature film 'Ahimsa - Gandhi: The
Power of the Powerless' decodes the power of non-violence and why it
remains relevant to this day. It brings to the fore the global impact of The Gandhian message of non-violence: how it inspired several world leaders, the Civil
Rights Movement in the United States; the Solidarity Movement in Poland as well
as Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. This was
said by Ramesh Sharma, Director of the documentary film which pays homage to
Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of his 150th birthday and honors him as the
leader of India's non-violent independence movement. He was addressing a
virtual press conference at the 51st edition of the International Film Festival of
India, in Goa today, January 21, 2021.
Ahimsa - Gandhi is not a film, but a passion said the
Director. “The film reminds us that we need to restore human
rights and dignity on a universal level; it shows how Gandhiji’s message went
beyond the shores of India, where he used non-violence as a powerful tool.
Today, it still serves as an inspiration to societies fighting injustice.”
Sharma has given a
call to youngsters to come forward and propagate the message of Gandhian
non-violence, which he says is the need of the hour. Speaking about
Gandhiji, he said: “Mahatma was an inclusive man. He believed that every
religion and faith should have its own space. He feared that the fabric of
inclusiveness is being broken these days. Gandhi never wanted the country to
become a nation of one religion.”
Editor of the film Yamini
Upadhye too addressed the press conference, joining from Goa. “Working for the film was an eye-opening experience; it was a masterclass to work with Director
Ramesh.
Speaking about the
film’s message, she said that we have but two options – non-violence or
non-existence. “The film decodes the power of non-violence and why it remains
relevant to this day, as violence leads to violence and nothing else.
There are only two options - either non-violence or non-existence. We learn
little from our academics about Gandhiji. I got to know a lot more about
Gandhiji, through the movie. We aspire to reach out to every single human being
on the planet through our film.”
About 'Ahimsa
- Gandhi: The Power of the Powerless'
The film was produced to
commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi.
It also comes at a time when support for George Floyd, a black man who died
last month at the hands of police in Minnesota is morphing into a wider
movement.
The film was directed
and produced by Ramesh Sharma, who previously earned an Emmy nominee for “The
Journalist and the Jihadi: The Murder of Daniel Pearl”. Production and
rights sales are handled by South Africa-based ‘Distant Horizon’.
The film deals with
oppression and the denial of basic freedoms to people by those who are in
positions of power and who fiercely protect their positions by inflicting
violence on innocent people. It speaks about the impact of Gandhi's
message of non-violence, and how it inspired several movements across the
world.
0 Comments