Ajay T.G.

A series of short films made by Ajay TG  including Anjam, Ajay’s documentary on Dr. Binayak Sen. The  screenings will be followed by a presentation by Ramachandra Guha.


Ajay TG, an independent documentary filmmaker  and freelance journalist, was unlawfully arrested on 5 May 2008 by the  Chattisgarh police.


We see the arrest as an attempt to silence Ajay  and to break the courage of a man who has the right to show what he sees and  tell what he feels. But we believe that Ajay TG has a right to make  films. Ajay TG has the right to show his films and that we have the right to  see his films. A year ago, Dr. Binayak Sen, another human rights defender, was  similarly arrested in Chattisgarh.


Date: 11 Aug, 2008 (Monday)


Tea: 5 – 5.30 pm


Film screenings:  5.30 – 6.30 pm (details of films below)


Presentation and discussion: 6.30 – 7.30 pm


Speaker: Ramachandra Guha
Ram will speak on the current  situation in Chattisgarh and the people who are caught in the circle of  violence between the Maoists and the State.


Respondent: Arvind Narrain
Arvind will talk on the threats to  human rights defenders with laws such as  the  Chattisgarh Special  Security Act and the  Karnataka Control of Organized Crime Act.


Screening: Anjam (A documentary by Ajay TG on Binayak  Sen)


Venue: Centre for Films and Drama (CFD), 5th floor, Sona Towers, 71 Millers  Road, Bangalore, Phone: 22356263


Synopses:


Hathaure Wala (Man with the Hammer)
5mins 46sec / 1999 / English Version
Directed by Ajay TG


A portrait of an 80-year old lohar (blacksmith)  who works in the
shadow of the Bhilai Steel Plant in Chhattisgarh. This is  Ajay’s
first film and one from the first trio of films made at  Jandarshan.


Jeet
15mins 3sec / 2001 / Original Language
Directed by Ajay TG


A Jandarshan student film on malaria prevention  made as a group
exercise to arrive at a treatment for a pre-defined message.  Ajay’s
dramatised treatment in which children take the initiative in dealing
with a malaria outbreak was chosen. The script was a group effort.


Heads and Tales
20 mins 54 sec / 2002 / English subititles
Directed by Alpa Shah and Ajay TG


A Jandarshan student film about the  relationship between tradition
and politics. *Parha Mela*, a festival in  Jharkhand, was initiated to
symbolize tribal unity and the tribal system of  socio-political
governance. From 1990 it became two separate events, held two
kilometres away from one another on the same day, each supported by a
politician of a different party. The film explores this dichotomy.


The Journey (Safar)
15 mins 7 sec / 2001 / English subtitles
Directed by Reeta Chandel and Ajay TG


A Jandarshan student film about Reeta’s father,  a porter in the
hospital of the Bhilai Steel Plant. This film is a development  of
Reeta’s 5 minute film, *Papa Says*, shot by Ajay, as part of an
earlier  student exercise. *The Journey *was made because Ajay felt
that they should  explore questions about marriage and gender which
had come up by chance during  the shooting of the earlier film.


Anjam
20 mins 41 sec / 2007-8/ English
Directed by Ajay TG


A documentary about Binayak Sen