South Asian Documentary Film Festival at the British Council

20 February 2001

Travelling Film South Asia 2000, a festival presenting some of the best recent documentary films from the South Asian region, was hosted in Colombo by the SLETP from February 13 to 17. The screenings attracted a large number of documentary film lovers every day.

The festival consisted of 15 outstanding documentary films from or about South Asia which were either prize winners or highly commended at the Film South Asia '99 held in Kathmandu, Nepal, in October 1999. In addition, the sole Sri Lankan entry at the festival was also screened.

The festival, organised by the Himal Association in Kathmandu, arrived in Colombo after having had successful screenings in key South Asian cities as well as at many venues in North America and Europe. The festival was hosted in Colombo by the SLETP in collaboration with the International Television Trust for the Environment (TVE) and the British Council Colombo. The same organisations collaborated in May 1998 to host the previous edition of the travelling festival.

Film South Asia '99 festival had attracted more than 140 entries, spanning the entire region, from Assam to Sindh, and from Sikkim to Sri Lanka. The winners were selected from among 50 short-listed films by a three member jury. The line-up of films offered at the festival proved that South Asia is producing 'more and better documentaries' according to the organisers, who started the festival in 1997 to promote documentary making and viewing in this region.

The films in TFSA2000 -- which between them offer more than 13 hours of viewing -- covered an extremely wide range of subjects from geopolitics to socio-economics, and from cultural diversity to development issues. They were made by some of the best known documentary film makers in South Asia and elsewhere. They included the top winners of the festival:

• No one believes the Professor (Pakistan) and Thin Air (India) which shared the first prize;
• Pure Chutney (on the Indian community in Trinidad & Tobago) and Three Women and a Camera (India) which shared the second prize; and
• Ragi: Kana:Ko Bonga Buru (Buddha Weeps in Jadugoda, India) which won the third prize.

The Colombo festival also screend Sathveni Sandeve Geethaya (Song of the Seventh Evening) on Sri Lanka's dwindling tribe of gypsies. Directed by Sudath Mahadivulwewa for Sri Lanka's Government Film Unit, it was the sole Sri Lankan entry at the festival.

The SLETP received several requests for repeat screenings of selected films; there were also queries about how to obtain video copies of these films. According to the terms of the travelling festival, we are not authorised to make any copies, and the set of films is being returned to the secretariat in Kathmandu. However, a few copies of the festival catalogue are still available with us, giving all contact details of each of the film-makers.