Mann Mela - Mental Justice of the Oppressed
Indigenous knowledge of mental justice, empowerment, dealing and coping strategies weaved together by the threads of social justice movements led by grassroot leaders, whose work were deeply rooted in mental dignity of the oppressed.
These elements have been articulated and brought together by a woman from a Nomadic Tribe, based on her knowledge that comes from lived experiences and that is deeply tied into her community's history - of criminalization, homelessness, landlessness, persecution, relentless nomadic lifestyle; of her mother, sisters, relatives, other women, men and children of the community, in a games-based "Mental Justice Fair" to not only take mental health literacy and support to nomadic tribes, oppressed castes, Adivasi tribes and similar marginalized communities, but also articulate their intrinsic knowledge, strength and recommendations for their Mental Justice.
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Deepa PawarDirector
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Deepa PawarWriter
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Anubhuti TrustProducer
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Ruth LoboEditor
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Project Type:Documentary
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Runtime:10 minutes 58 seconds
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Completion Date:November 30, 2023
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Production Budget:5,000 USD
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Country of Origin:India
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Country of Filming:India
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Language:Hindi
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
Deepa Pawar is a member of the Ghisadi (Gadiya Lohar) nomadic tribe community and an Nomadic & Denotified Tribe (NT-DNT) activist, researcher, author, trainer, mentor and counselor.
NT-DNTs were declared 'criminals' by colonial rulers in 1871 because they fiercely opposed colonization, leading to generations of persecution, landlessness, homelessness, relentless migration and endangerment of culture, pride, history and their very identity. They continue to face the bitter and violent stigma of being seen as 'criminals' while being the most vulnerable.
Deepa grew up in a tent on a footpath outside a Mumbai slum; her work is centred around her lived experiences which are deeply entrenched in the historical injustices and persecution faced by her family, and her nomadic people. She is the first and only Ghisadi nomadic woman leader to have emerged into the so-called mainstream - seen as a leader and intellectual by her people as well as the outside world.
She is the founder of Anubhuti, an intersectional feminist, anti-caste organisation working towards building Constitutional Leadership (based in the democratic, anti-discrimination values of the Indian Constitution) of marginalised communities, with strong focus on Justice and Dignity. She engages with issues of rights, mental and sexual reproductive health, gender, sanitation, community development and movement-building. She has won several national and international awards for her work.
She is creating the first ever documentation of her Ghisadi nomadic tribe community, and adding to very rare such knowledge of other nomadic communities too - presenting their endangered languages, lifestyles, devalued occupations, etc. with pride and dignity. This film is one attempt at articulating the knowledge held within nomadic and similar marginalized communities of India, in context of dealing with mental health issues, which are faced disproportionately more by oppressed communities while having very less access to support systems from outside.