Director: N/A
Starring: N/A
Genre: Documentary
Released on: N/A
Writer: N/A
IMDB Rating: N/A
Duration: 40 min
Synopsis: The jury award for Prakriti Foundation’s 3rd annual ‘One Billion Eyes Indian Documentary Film Festival 2007’ went to ’India Untouched’, produced by K Stalin. The jury consisted of Anandhi, Meena Kandaswamy and Eric Miller. The prize money is Rs 25,000.
‘India Untouched – Stories of People Apart’ is a comprehensive look at untouchability. Director Stalin spent four years travelling the length and breadth of the country to expose the continued oppression of Dalits, ‘the broken people’, who suffer under a 4,000-year-old religious system.
It exposes the continuation of caste practices and untouchability in Sikhism, Chiristanity and Islam, and even amongst the Communists in Kerala. Dalits themselves are not let off the hook. Spanning eight states and four religions,’India Untouched’ will make it impossible for anyone to deny that untouchability continues to be practised in India. In an age where the media projects only one image of “rising” or “poised” India, this film reminds us how far the country is from being an equal society. Travelling through eight states and four religions, this film is a serious exploration of caste oppression.
Stalin is the co-founder and director of Drishti Media, Arts and Human Rights and the India director of Video Volunteers.
Drishti is a leading media and human rights organisation in India, with 15 years experience pioneering new models of participatory media, such as Stree Theatre, community radio, campaign design, documentary film-making and participatory video.
Stalin is also an internationally acclaimed documentary film-maker and has made over a dozen documentaries and has received several national and international awards. His film, ‘Lesser Humans’, on the issue of untouchability, has been responsible for much of the international attention to Dalit issues.
He is one of the leading voices to democratise India’s airwaves and has been in the forefront of the fight for communities’ right to own and run their own radio stations. He was part of a team that set up one of the first community radio projects in India. He is the national convenor of the Community Radio Forum – India, a membership network of more than 100.
