Private Project

ACHTUNG BABY- PROMO

Berlin, 1936. The German capital hosts the Olympics. It was an event that was supposed to showcase the might and achievements of Hitler's Nazi Germany. Above all, it was an occasion that was supposed to prove once and for all, the racial superiority of the Aryan race. This fanatic belief in the purity and superiority of ones racial stock scripted the darkest chapter in the world's history...the holocaust.

Hitler was proved wrong...the star of the Berlin Olympics turned out to be a Black American athlete, Jesse Owens, who set the tracks alight with his four golds. Eight years later, Hitler shot himself in a bunker as the allied forces finally put paid to his dream for world domination...but not before millions of lives had been lost in World War II and even more in the extermination of the Jews. And there the story should have ended, a tragic tale but at least one where good ultimately triumphed over evil. However, the saga isn't over yet. Six decades after Nazi Germany surrendered, a minority continues to be obsessed with racial purity and it seeks this in the most unlikely of places...

Ladakh, India. Perched in the mountainous locales of India's northern most state, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh is famous for its desolate beauty. However, beyond the rich heritage of monasteries, the spirit of Buddhism, the captivating barren mountains of varied shades and hues, the crystal-clear skyline and the quiet flow of the Indus, one specific facet of Ladakh is particularly fascinating is the legendary inhabitation of pure-blooded Aryans in parts of the region.

The Aryans of Ladakh stand out as tall, (going up to 6'-6"), sharp-featured with big eyes and a fair complexion. The Aryans are not a large community. They number around 5,000 or so and are mainly confined to a cluster of seven villages located down the Indus, between Khalatse and the Shayok-Indus confluence. The inhabitants are known as Drok-pa, a Buddhist name. They have preserved their racial purity down the centuries.

It is this racial purity that has, and continues to attract visitors from Germany. A number of German visitors have been sneaking into the area for decades to study and do research on special racial and related characteristics of these original inhabitants. Of course, there is nothing particularly wrong with undertaking such research but the phenomenon that we propose to document does throw up some disturbing questions.

It is a little known fact that even in this day and age, a few German couples continue to visit Ladakh to indulge in their obsession for racial purity. They come to adopt Aryan children and in some cases for the German female to have sex with an Aryan male in the hope of bearing the 'racially superior seed'.
The filmSA explore the various ethical, moral, psychological and legal issues involved in this strange and disturbing...but true phenomenon, through the medium of a powerful, entertaining and thought-provoking film.

  • SANJEEV SIVAN
    Director
  • SANJEEV SIVAN
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes 1 second
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • SANJEEV SIVAN
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - SANJEEV SIVAN

Born and brought up in an environment where film reels substituted for skipping ropes and camera tripods for cricket bats, Sanjeev quite literally has filmmaking in his blood.

Being the youngest of the family of filmmakers that includes his father Sivan - an acclaimed Director, Producer & Cinematographer and master craftsmen elder brothers Sangeeth Sivan - Director and (Padmasri) Santosh Sivan – an ace Cinematographer and Director, it was quite natural to get the spark of creativity and his burning desire immersed him into the world of films from very tender age.

Sanjeev‘s love for films as a child, acquainted him with different departments of film making to even being part of menial jobs of production thus having hands on and thorough experience in every aspect of filmmaking.

By the time he reached college, he was actively pursuing a film career as Executive Producer working on projects that were made under the family banner directed by his father and brothers. These films from their stable not only won numerous international, national and state awards but also were enormously successful at box office leaving a lasting impression in the heart of the audience.

However, he believed his strong sense of narration and unique flair for story telling has to be backed up with a formal degree, which he took from the very prestigious Tisch film school, New York University.

A creative person with a distinct style of working Sanjeev passionately believed in the potential of films and televisions to transform lives and build stronger society. Sanjeev meticulously started directing features, documentaries and docu-features choosing social issues which haunts him and those plaguing the society as the subject of his documentary films; namely child trafficking, gender discrimination, dowry, exploitation, theft in train, piracy and lots more to create awareness and fought for these causes and contributed towards betterment of society through the medium of films.

His latest feature film “Venalodungathe” (Endless Summer) is based on his documentary “AFTER LIFE” which is also on a social issue of surrogacy portrayed by Seema Biswas. The emotional rendition of the subject moved the audience which fetched him the “Best Film” Ammonite Award at the 6th Hidden Gems Film Festival-2014, Calgary, Canada. Endless summer is to be remade in Hindi by Aamir khan productions.

His documentary “UNDERGROUND INFERNO” for National Geographic Channel on coal mine fires of Asia was awarded “The Best Environmental film” at Ecofilms Rodos International films & Visual Arts Festival, Greece and at the International Film Festival of India, Goa 2010.

Sanjeev’s malayalam feature film, “APARICHITHAN- THE STRANGER” starring superstar Mammootty, was made on a budget of less than Rs.1.25 crores. It changed the face of the Kerala film industry with its never-seen-before technique and craft.
From the beginning of his filmmaking career he has been showered with praises and accolades that have inspired him to achieve even greater heights. He was also the jury member of the Indian Documentary Producers Association (IDPA) Film Awards and served as a jury member for the 57th National Film Awards.
His films portrays human side of social issues engaging the audience emotionally to the subject, hence his films are widely cherished both domestically and abroad winning rave reviews from critics and audience alike. For Sanjeev, making films is a natural extension of his self – an expression of the experiences he has accumulated over the years through his inhibition-free interaction with people. That’s the reason why his films are always about emotions – intense stories of people who are stuck in a queer twist of fate and are striving to break out of those shackles.
He was awarded the “Karamveer Puraskar -2015” for drawing attention towards the social issues through the medium of films and contributing towards the upliftment of the downtrodden plaguing our society.

His forthcoming venture’s are “GRAMPA’S ALBUM” for CFSI, “ “ENDLESS SUMMER “for Aamir khan productions , “WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE for Sajid Nadiawala Productions.

Sanjeev believes nothing could be more important than aesthetic portrayal of this human struggle to break free this urge to retain ones integrity in the face of greatest of adversaries… a helplessness that emerges sometimes from within the protagonist and sometimes from outside. That’s the spirit and the soul of Sanjeev’s work. And that’s his “difference” as storyteller
CONTACT: SANJEEV SIVAN
E-Mail: sanjeevsivan@sanjeevsivanentertainment.com
Cell: 91- 9446749926/ 91-9819772204

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