Private Project

Fatima

At barely nine years of age, Fatima was married off to a pimp in the red-light area of Forbesganj, a town at the northern end of the state of Bihar in India bordering Nepal. Fatima's community is nomadic in origin. Branded as a ‘Criminal Tribe' in 1871, they've been stigmatised and were denied access to their legitimate trades. To survive, men started pimping the women. Eventually they started trafficking girls from outside as well. Fatima left her husband when he wanted to prostitute their minor daughter. She escaped the red-light area in 2007 and became an activist, challenging trafficking in her community. We join her as she continues motivating, fighting for other women and children there. She sends her children to school and as we follow her personal ups and downs; falling in love again, trying to start a new family, we find out more about why she chose to fight against the abuse and exploitation that has become systemic in her community. Despite the forces of police corruption and community ties hampering her efforts, Fatima appears to be rewarded both as an activist and in her personal life. But there is growing resentment and her hopes appear to be constantly overwhelmed by the challenges facing her and her new family.

  • Sourabh Kanti Dutta
    Director
    I am Bonnie
  • Sourabh Kanti Dutta
    Writer
  • Peter J Kirby
    Producer
    Life of a Hunter / 55 min. / 2012 Director/Cinematographer : Peter J. Kirby -- Best Cinematography Award at TWIFF / 2012. Echoes / 94 min./ 2013 Director : Rajesh Shera -- Film By The Sea, Mumbai International Film Festival 2013. The Land’s Music / 110 min./ 2017 Director : Peter J. Kirby The Receptionist / 102 min./ 2017 Director : Jenny Lu -- Best Film at Sochi International Film Awards, 2017. -- Shortlisted for BIFA awards 2017. -- Winner : ‘Best Emerging Director, Narrative Fiction’ award at the 40th Asian American International Film Festival, New York , 2017. -- Nominated for 'Best Supporting Actress' for Golden Horse Film Festival 2017. -- Nominated for 'Best Film' & 'Best Actress' for Milan International Film Awards 2017. -- Nominated for 'Best Feature Film' for Salento International Film Festival 2017 -- In First Feature Competition for London East Asian Film Festival 2017. -- Selected for Edinburgh International Film Festival 2017. -- Selected for Durban International Film Festival 2017. -- Selected for Raindance 2017. -- Winner : 'Best Film' at Mt.Fuji-Atami Film + VR Festival 2017.
  • Sourabh Kanti Dutta
    Producer
    o I am Bonnie /45 min.(2016) https://vimeo.com/262632424 Password: Bandana2Bonnie Role: Director/Cinematographer/Executive Producer Co-directors: Miss Farha Khatun, Miss Satarupa Santra. Producer: Films Division, India. • 65th National Film Award, 2017: ‘Best Film on Social Issues’. • World Premier: 30th BFI Flare, 2016. • Special Jury Award, Intl. Competition: Mumbai Intl. Film Festival, 2018. • Long Documentary Competition: 9th IDSFFK, Kerala 2016. • Best Documentary: 22nd Kolkata Intl. Film Festival, 2016. • Satyajit Ray Silver Award at the South Asian Short Film Festival 2019, organized by Federation of Film Societies of India. • Best Documentary (2nd Prize) : 5th Smita Patil Intl. Film Festival, 2017.
  • Fatima Khatun
    Key Cast
    "Fatima Khatun"
  • Nagina Khatun
    Key Cast
    "Nagina Khatun"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Fatima
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature, Short
  • Genres:
    human rights, discrimination, social change
  • Runtime:
    59 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 30, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    67,150 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    India
  • Country of Filming:
    India
  • Language:
    Hindi
  • Shooting Format:
    HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 53rd International Film Festival of India, Goa 2022.
    Panjim, Goa
    India
    November 24, 2022
    Indian Panorama, Goa Premiere
    Indian Panorama
  • 14th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala 2022.
    Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
    India
    August 27, 2022
    World Premiere
    Documentary Competetion
  • 23rd River To River Florence Indian Film Festival 2023.
    Florence
    Italy
    December 12, 2023
    European Premiere
  • 14th Melbourne Indian Film Festival 2023.
    Melbourne
    Australia
    August 16, 2023
    Oceania Premier
    Nominated for the Best Documentary Award.
  • 11th Nepal Human Rights International Film Festival 2023.
    Kathmandu
    Nepal
    December 11, 2023
    Premier
    Winner of the Jury Award.
  • 9th Shimla International Film Festival 2023.
    Shimla
    India
    September 25, 2023
    Winner of the Best Documentary Award: National category.
  • Mumbai Independent Film Festival 2023.
    Mumbai
    India
    December 7, 2023
    Winner of the Best Director Award.
  • 10th Arkipel – Jakarta Intl Documentary & Experimental Film Festival 2023.
    Jakarta
    Indonesia
    September 25, 2023
    Indonesian Premier
  • 11th Liberation DocFest, Dhaka 2023.
    Dhaka
    Bangladesh
    March 12, 2023
    Asian
    International Competetion.
  • 9th Kolkata Peoples Film Festival 2023.
    Kolkata
    India
    January 22, 2023
    Kolkata Premiere
    Official Selection_Non-competitive Festival
  • Beyond Borders Feminist Film Festival 2022.
    New Delhi
    India
    March 5, 2023
    Delhi Premiere.
    Official Selection_Non-competetive Festival.
  • NITTE International Film Festival 2023.
    Mangalore
    India
    June 10, 2023
  • 1st Udaan Film Festival Kolkata 2024.
    Kolkata.
    India
    February 12, 2024
  • Satyajit Ray Film & TV Institute.
    Kolkata
    India
    June 14, 2023
  • College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
    Bangalore
    India
    February 2, 2024
  • St. Joseph's College of Commerce (Autonomous).
    Bangalore
    India
    February 6, 2024
  • NSHM Media School Kolkata.
    Kolkata.
    India
    March 6, 2024
Distribution Information
  • NA
Director Biography - Sourabh Kanti Dutta

Sourabh Kanti Dutta.
Director/Co-Producer
India

National Award winner for his directorial debut - I am Bonnie/45’
- on the tragedies, aspirations and achievements of an Intersex footballer in West Bengal, India, Sourabh worked in many genres of films/television/entertainment and documentaries
in a career spanning over two decades.
His directorial debut I am Bonnie/45’ (with directors Farha Khatun and Satarupa Santra) premiered at the BFI Flare, London in 2016, won the Best Documentary Award at the Kolkata Intl. Film Festival in 2017 and the Pramod Pati Jury Award at the Mumbai Intl. Film Festival in 2018.
He won Navroz Contractor Award for Best Documentary Cinematography at IDSFFK in 2019 for the film Longra/27’ directed by Sankha.
He is the Cinematographer for Atasi/ 52’ by Dir. Putul Mahmood
that won the Best Documentary Award at the Mumbai Intl. Film Festival in 2020.
A history graduate and a self-taught filmmaker Sourabh’s latest documentary Fatima/59’ - an Indo-British production, is having its festival run now.
Set at the Indo-Nepali border, it tells the story of Fatima and other trafficked women.
Fatima was awarded an AlterCine Foundation grant in 2018,
was part of the NFDC FilmBazaar Recommends list in 2021,
Thessaloniki Agora Doc Market in 2022,
and the Vision-du-Reel industry in 2022.
It premiered at the 14th IDSFFK (competition) in 2022
and was selected for the Indian Panorama at 53rd IFFI Goa 2022.
Fatima was screened at the Melbourne Indian Film Festival 2023, Liberation DocFest (Intl.Competition) Dhaka 2023,
and the Beyond Borders Feminist Film Festival in New Delhi 2023.
Sourabh is writing/developing his first feature length narrative fiction now.

Filmography
o Fatima / 59' (current film)
https://vimeo.com/678712605
Role: Writer/Director/Co-producer
Producer : Peter J. Kirby/UK
• Thessaloniki Agora Doc Market in 2022.
• Vision-du-Reel industry in 2022.
• NFDC FimBazaar Recommends 2021.
• Finalist : Roy W Dean Grant 2020.
• AlterCine Foundation Grant for 2018.
• Most Developed Project Award : Docedge Kolkata 2018.
• European Documentary Network Award : Dhaka DocLab 2018.
• World Premiere: 14th Intl. Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala 2022.
• 53rd IFFI, Goa 2022, Indian Panorama.
• 9th Kolkata Peoples Film Festival 2023.
• Beyond Borders Feminist Film Festival 2023.
• Liberation DocFest, Dhaka 2023.

o I am Bonnie /45 min.(2016)
Directorial Debut
https://vimeo.com/262632424
Password: Bandana2Bonnie
Role: Director/Cinematographer/Executive Producer
Co-directors: Miss Farha Khatun, Miss Satarupa Santra.
Producer: Films Division, India.
• 65th National Film Award, 2017: ‘Best Film on Social Issues’.
• World Premier: 30th BFI Flare, 2016.
• Special Jury Award, Intl. Competition: Mumbai Intl. Film Festival, 2018.
• Long Documentary Competition: 9th IDSFFK, Kerala 2016.
• Best Documentary: 22nd Kolkata Intl. Film Festival, 2016.
• Satyajit Ray Silver Award at the South Asian Short Film Festival 2019, organized by Federation of Film Societies of India.
• Best Documentary (2nd Prize) : 5th Smita Patil Intl. Film Festival, 2017.

o In-between Days /58 min.(2012)
https://vimeo.com/41328947
Password : duidhurani12
Role: Cinematographer.
Dir.: Sankha.
Producer: RAI TV, Italy and Moromiya Pictures, India.
• World Premiere – CPH:DOX 2012, Copenhagen, Denmark (Competition)
• DocPoint Helsinki 2013, Finland.
• Documentarist 2013, Istanbul, Turkey.
• Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, Japan 2013 (New Asian Currents).
• Astra Film Festival, Romania 2013 (International Competition).
• Dhaka International Documentary & Short Film Festival 2013.
• ‘Out On Screen’ Vancouver Queer Film Festival 2013.
• MiradasDoc 2013, Spain (Competition for First Film).
• International Documentary & Short Film Festival, Kerala 2013.
• ‘Kashish’ Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2013.
• ‘DIALOGUES’ 6th Kolkata LGBT Film Festival 2012.
• Bangalore Queer Film Festival 201.3
• Vikalp, Mumbai.
• ‘Shehernama’ – City/Film Festival.
• ‘NULSAR’ Film Fest, Hyderabad 2013.
• Seattle South Asian Film Festival 2014.
• Broadcasted in RAI TV, Italy.
• Broadcasted in NDTV 24X7, India.
• Broadcasted in VPRO, The Netherlands.
• Broadcasted in YLE Digital, Finland.
• ‘Best Documentary’ Award : 20th Kolkata International Film Festival 2014.

o The Wind In The Maruwa Field /52 min. (2015)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze9cBKZJ5GE
Role: Cinematographer.
Director: Sankha.
Producer: Films Division, India.
• Official Selection :
- Indian Panorama, IFFI 2016, Goa.
- 21st Kolkata International Film Festival.

o Longra/ 27 min. (2019)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eqoHNJa9hE&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR1AU8hRWUpIc3PWtp9RCtLc0qKJxBxHUo51jbPusT_1YDOm7JYbY5VDbrA
Role: Cinematographer
Director: Sankha.
• Navroze Contractor Award for Best Documentary Cinematography at the International Documentary & Short Film Festival, Kerala 2019.
• Documentary Competition :
- International Documentary & Short Film Festival, Kerala 2019.

o Playthings/ 57 min. (2012)
https://vimeo.com/35762400
Role: Cinematographer.
Director: Mrinmoy Nandi ;
Producer: Hope Foundations, India.
• Official Selection :
- Mexico International Film Festival, SilverPalm 2012.
- Kerala Documentary & Short Film Festival 2012.

o Atasi/ 58 min. (2018)
Role: Cinematographer
Director: Putul Mahmood.
Producer: Ratnaboli Ray, Anjali (A Mental Health Right Organization).
• Official Selection :
- Intl. Documentary and Short Film Festival, Kerala 2018.

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Director Statement

Dignity and freedom remain elusive to the women of the Nat community and the ones who have been trafficked here in the red-light area of Forbesganj. Our film questions the very notion that the issue of trafficking has been addressed adequately by the law, or by every angle in the media. Our film asks, had it been so, then why do these women still suffer?
In Fatima’s words- ‘I have often seen them shedding tears silently...they could not even cry aloud.’
Our film tells the victims’ story from their perspective, in how they became entangled in this social and economic net against their will. With our unique access to Fatima, her family and her associates, we highlight and expose in a vernacular way, the realities of the sex trade in India.
Our film is also a witness to this saga of a strong woman’s quest for a dignified life while standing up, along with others, to a whole system that prefers to keep everything running the way it has been–thriving trafficking, based on an environment that removes any agency from girls and women.