No. of views : (4087)
Sengadal the Dead Sea hits the International Competition at the 13th International Mumbai Film Festival
Posted on: 13/Oct/2011 5:09:39 AM
Sengadal the Dead Sea, the debut feature fiction by Leena Manimekalai will be the only Indian Film in the International Competition section of the 13th International Mumbai Film Festival to be held from Oct 13 -20, 2011. The selection committee was impressed with the freshness in its approach, wonderful photography and the way non-actors have been treated in the movie, says the MFF director, Srinivasan Narayanan.
After winning its months-long legal battle with the Regional Central Board of Film Certification and the Appellate Tribunal Authorities over the ban on public exhibition, Sengadal the Dead Sea emerged with an "A" certification, without any cuts, on June 20, 2011. The film was then officially selected in the competition sections of 32nd Durban International Film Festival and 35th World Montreal Film festival in July and August respectively. And it also has the honour of being nominated for NAWFF Award, Tokyo, to be held this month. Ms. Navi Pillai, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who watched the film at Durban appreciated the uncompromising voice of the film and took it as a witness of the human rights violations committed by the Sri Lankan Navy on the Indian Fishermen at the international maritime border off the shores of Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi. She has committed necessary intervention along with her UN Investigations on the genocide committed on Lankan Tamils by Sri Lankan Government.
Sengadal the Dead Sea is enacted by the real fishermen and refugees from Dhanushkodi and Rameshwaram Mandapam camp. All the supporting artistes are from Kidathirukai Therukoothu team and the film captures the fragments of their simple lives beaten by three decade long ethnic war in Sri Lanka. Produced by Tholpaavai Theatres, Sengadal the Dead Sea was one of the recipients of Production Grant by Global Film Initiative (GFI) for the year 2010.
