The talk gives a brief history of documentaries, both Indian and foreign, on India. It will discuss how the Indian documentary has evolved into a lively contemporary tool for art, debate and activism and is experimenting with a variety of form such as the autobiographical, docu-fiction and mockumentaries that incorporporate fiction and surrealism. It will explore powerful documentaries from India made on a range of socio-political issues, including gender, caste, sexuality and human rights.
 

About the Speaker

Meenakshi Shedde is South Asia Consultant to the Berlin and Dubai International Film Festivals, based in Mumbai. She is Guest Curator, British Film Institute, UK, for India On Film. Winner of India’s National Award for Best Film Critic, she has been on the jury of 20 international film festivals, including Cannes, Berlin and Venice. She has been India/Asia Curator/Consultant since 20 years to the Berlin, Toronto, Locarno, Busan, Dubai, IFFI-Goa, Kerala, Mumbai and Colombo Film Festivals. Her articles have appeared in Variety, Screen International, Film Comment, Sight & Sound, Cahiers du Cinema and Midday. She has taught and lectured on cinema and has been a mentor on Film Critics’ Labs and Scriptwriting Labs.