International social communication film fest soon

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">KOLKATA: Upholding the trials and tribulations of the marginalised section of society, an international film festival beginning here on February 15 would showcase about 43 documentaries from five countries including maiden entries from Pakistan.<br /><br />The third international social communication cinema conference, to begin with Akira Kurosawa''s famous film <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Dodes-Kaden</span>, would see for the first time a package of three Pakistani films, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Swara: A Bridge Over Troubled Water </span>by Sama Minallah, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Terror''s Children </span>by Sharmeen Obaid and <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">King Cotton </span>and the Freshwater Equation by Sumaira Latif.<br /><br />Announcing this at a press meet here on Monday, CEO of organiser Roopkala Kendro Anita Agnihotri said a package of films by legendary European animation director Bruno Bozzetto would be screened for the first time in India.<br /><br />"Among these touching documentaries we have stories ranging from the problems of share croppers to the woes of Chakma refugees," she said.<br /><br />In the shape of a package that portrays the basic human rights of individuals, US group People''s Movement for Human Rights Education (PDHRE) would show <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Women Hold Up the Sky</span> and Michael Moore''s <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Bowling for Columbine</span>.<br /><br />Twenty of the films including a special package called Films by Filmakers of North Bengal would also be taken for a suburban show for the first time to the Coochbehar district of West Bengal.<br /><br />"This would be in keeping with our motto of narrowcasting socially relevant films and taking them to where it matters most," Agnihotri added.<br /><br />The conference would have another first with Roopkala Kendro screening six of their own productions, Agnihotri said.<br /><br />A package of 11 animation films by Canadian director Norman McLaren would also be on show.<br /><br />The foreign films would include <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Strange Fruits</span> by American film maker Joel Katz and <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">If You Love this Planet</span> by Canadian Terre Nash, she said. </div> </div>