Mahesh Bhatt and Tisca Chopra inaugurate human rights film festival in city that shine a light on issues across the world.

On December 7^th, the 2^nd FLASHPOINT Human Rights Film Festival returned to the city with a collection of explosive and incisive human rights films from India and around the world with a though provoking opening.

Present at the opening ceremony were some of the eminent people who believe in excellence like the Consul General of France, Mr.Jean Raphael Peytregnet, the distinguished filmmaker, Mr.Mahesh Bhatt and the award-winning actress, Ms.Tisca Chopra.

The ceremony started with screening of an excerpt of Jafar Panahi's ‘This Is Not a Film’ to celebrate the passion and urge of the filmmaker to continue making films against all odds and portray the atrocities against human rights.

This was followed by the words of festival director Sridhar Rangayan who outlined the theme and reason for the festival. He said, “The objective of organizing a human rights film festival is to create awareness about human rights violations in several countries across the world and bring them together on one platform so that it can catalyse our thoughts and charge us rise up against the unjust. He thanked Movies that Matter (Netherlands) for their significantly valuable contribution as well as the co-organizer Alliances Francaise de Bombay.

Consul General of France in Mumbai, Mr.Jean Raphael Peytregnet saluted this excellent initiative and expressed his delight that the festival has been promoted through Alliance Francaise de Bombay. He associated this initiative with the French Revolution which was a period of radical and political upheaval in France. He also appreciated one the films ‘Made in India’ which will be screened during the festival, for its concept of ‘Surrogacy’. He acknowledged the fact that commercialization of ‘Surrogacy’ is a problem. Also the law in his own country – France prohibits surrogacy, he understands and respects others’ views on the issue.

Cutting short his introduction by the host, Mr.Mahesh Bhatt insisted on giving a standing ovation to Mr.Sridhar and Alliance Francaise de Bombay for conceptualizing and implementing such a important event. He differentiated documentaries as ‘a reality showing business’ as against ‘an illusion manufacturing business’ of mainstream cinema. He said “When empathy erodes from our society evil walks tall”. He also believes that these films are not an end in itself, but are just the beginning to quench the thirst for justice and reclamation of human dignity. He compared these films to a man pointing his finger at the sky and he emphasized that one should not just look at the finger but at the vastness of the sky it points to.

The beautiful actress Tisca Chopra supported Mr.Bhatt’s views and complimented the event. She said, “A darkened cinema hall can propagate myriad of emotions, and few of them, like these films have the potential to put cinema on a high level as agents of change”.

The festival was inaugurated by lighting soft candles by the Guests of Honor followed by screening of the Opening film of the festival – ‘Miral’, starring Freida Pinto.