The struggle of the Dalits to get their right has reached the international podium as a Punjabi film Chamm on land struggle of Dalits got entry into the Cannes Film Festival.
Chamm (skin) is about the struggle of Dalits of Punjab, who are struggling to get their one-third share in the village common land. The 35-minute film will be screened in “2017 Short Film Corner” at the Cannes between May 22 and 28.
Rajeev, director of the film, said:
“IT IS AN INDEPENDENT AND SELF-FUNDED FILM WHICH IS ABOUT INNER DEFEAT AND VICTORY.”
He said they had developed an alternative distribution system for the film by screening it free of cost in villages and small towns.
Rajeev, who hails from Mullanpur and now based in Mumbai, started his career as a filmmaker in 1994 with a documentary “Aapna Pash”, which was based on the life of revolutionary poet Pash.
Earlier, his film “Nabar” won the National Award in 2012 in the best Punjabi feature film category. National award winning actor Baljinder Kaur also features in the film.
Struggle of rural landless Dalits to reclaim one-third share in the village common land is going on for almost nine years in around 70 villages of Sangrur and Mansa.
