ChangeChitra

ChangeChitra is a year-long program mentoring 60 young people in documentary filmmaking for social activism.

Below is the list of short docs in the above playlist:

‘Made In Madras’ | By – Shikha Kumari, Aishwarya Ashok & Mohit Arora from Tamil Nadu – An 18 year old girl from the streets of Chennai, India, faces gender and caste barriers and transforms from being a child laborer to playing international football events.

‘Never Too Old’ | By – Athmaja Biju & SahanRaj from Kerala – Karthyayani Amma of Cheppad village took up pen for the first time when she was 94 in 2017. Soon, she became the oldest topper of Kerala’s Aksharalaksham literary exam and is celebrated as the ultimate success story from the state.

‘MangalaMukhi’ (Blessings of a Transgender) | By – Arpita Singh, Mohd. Zeeshan, Mohd. Ragib and Madhuri Chauhan from UP – Guddi and Kanchi live in Uttar Pradesh & struggle to survive as Eunuchs in the society. In ancient times when Eunuchs were considered above men or women, they struggle for their basic human rights and acceptance in today’s world.

‘Open Defecation Failure’ | By – Ajeet Kumar, SM Zafar & Shah Faisal from Bihar – The current government claims that India will be completely Open Defecation Free by 2019, meaning toilets in every house, school and office. We peep into the harsh reality of what actually “Swachh Bharat” (Clean India) looks like. Is constructing toilets alone the solution?

‘Avalokanam’ (Musings) | By – Dheeraj Aithal & Siddhartha Reddy from Bengaluru – An exploratory journey into the life of an organic farmer living in solitude contrasts with the chemical-fuelled agricultural society around him.

‘VarshaRanga’ (Colors of Rain) | By – Dewanshi Patil, Abhiraj Dethe & Rohini Pawar from Pune – Beyond the do’s and don’ts of hinterland India, a woman rebel fights back – one punch at a time.

Between Sky and Earth’ | By – Neha Nahata and Dibyajyoti Nath from Assam – Assam is the first state in India going through an increasing identity and citizenship crisis. Memories and songs from one of the worst pogroms since World War II, the ‘Nellie massacre’, are shared by a musician activist. Firsthand accounts from people who hover, stateless yet with hope, between sky and earth.

‘1st November’ | By – Indranee Kalita and Vikramjit Barua from Assam – In the midst of a political turmoil and communal riot, a mother mourns the killing of her two sons, a daughter weeps for her father, and a wife describes the shootout of her husband.

‘They call me Bideshini’ | By – Abinash Padhan, Rajesh Gupta, Dasrathi Behera, Bideshini Patel & Pranay Manjari from Odisha – Bideshini, a girl who begged to feed herself while she was a child, now stands up for thousands of her fellow tribals and demands they to get their due rights. This film is about courage: despite being a victim of domestic violence and substance abuse in her childhood, this inspiring young woman never gave up on life.

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Participants in this immersive program learn filmmaking and editing techniques at three residential workshops of six days each. They get additional online mentorship while making their films between workshops.

ChangeChitra provides professional equipment including cameras and edit suites to work with. The program is free, and ChangeChitra covers all travel and stay costs during the training and filming. Participants will not receive a stipend.

Participants work in teams of four or five to research, ideate and produce compelling short documentaries. This ranges from sustainable development, education and skill-building, to women’s empowerment, diversity, and pluralism, freedom of expression, among others.

The documentary films explore India’s myriad challenges and successes from new angles and reveal untold stories.