L’ATELIER DU FESTIVAL
MARICHJHAPI
Directed by : Bauddhayan MUKHERJI
- Year of production : 2021
- Country :
- Length : 95 minutes
Synopsis
1979. West Bengal. Marichjhapi, an island in the Sunderbans where Bangladeshi lower caste refugees were invited and made to settle by the communist government, saw what is possibly the worst betrayal and planned genocide in independent India; where thousands of refugees were massacred by the government itself. Spurned by the refusal to join the communist refugee wing UCRC, the government unleashed a reign of terror on the hapless refugees. They imposed an economic blockade cutting off all essential supplies. With no water, food, electricity and medical help the people of Marichjhapi saw the worst. The government poisoned their water, burnt their houses, raped the women and fired at them in the middle of night. The film is a fictional account based on these true events and revolves around 5 characters. Shaktipado, the school teacher who was part of the team that had chosen Marichjhapi, Nanibala and her 5-year-old day dreamer Kanto, Ranjan and his lady love Meni who he had followed from Dandakaranya. Against the backdrop of the terrifying times, relationships flourished, love blossomed and hope was born time and again in the island of Marichjhapi.
Statement
I want to awaken the 40-year-old ghost of Marichjhapi. I want the world to know. I want humanity to weep with the thousands that were massacred. For decades this has been a closely guarded secret, carefully kept under wraps. Unconfirmed reports say the number of those who were massacred could even be as high as 10000. Won’t I give them a peaceful burial? Won’t the world have empathy towards them just the way Syrian refugees are being looked at around the world? Won’t we know what the unarmed, starving, malnourished families went through in those 6 months of economic blockade and massacre? So much for their desire to live a decent life? Settle down peacefully? I want to create a topical film that brings to light the plight of the people of Marichjhapi and possibly remind us how terrible we have been in the history of time with the hope of not committing the same mistake time and again. Marichjhapi would be my document of hope and humanity.
MARICHJHAPI
Credits
Bauddhayan MUKHERJI - Director
Specifications
Language film :
Bengali
Working budget:
800 000 €
Financing acquired:
400 000 €
Contacts
Production
LITTLE LAMB FILMS
2/7, Yashwantnagar, Road Number 3, Goregaon (West)
INDIA
- 91 2444
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www.littlelambfilms.com
Monalisa
MUKHERJI
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[email protected]
L'Atelier 2020
