Bhubaneswar: The second day of the 7th Indian Documentary Film Festival Bhubaneswar (IDFFB), organised by the Film Society of Bhubaneswar (FSB), brought together a diverse selection of documentaries exploring labour, memory, marginalisation, political injustice and resistance. The day opened with Chaawal by Tamjeed Elahi Khan, a film that draws attention to the stark contrast between the tireless, backbreaking labour of Indian farmers and the staggering wastage of rice during traditional wedding rituals.
As part of a retrospective of films by filmmaker and historian Uma Chakravarti, the festival screened Ye Lo Bayan Humare. Chakravarti participated in a post-screening conversation with FSB president Subrata Beura, discussing the importance of archival work and how the process helped her uncover personal memorabilia, letters and photographs. She also reflected on negotiating personal choices in the face of political injustice and inequality, including the difficult decisions she had to make during the Emergency.
The festival then screened I, Poppy by Vivek Chaudhury. Shot observationally over five years, the documentary follows poppy farmer Vardibai and her activist son Mangilal as they navigate systemic oppression and the challenges surrounding their lives and livelihoods. Debalina Majumder’s Friends of Jilipibala was another highlight of the day.
Following the screening, Majumder joined film critic Aditya Shrikrishna for a conversation about the film and the idea that inspired its making — an effort centred around saving a single tamarind tree. The evening featured Varrun Sukhraj’s The Great Indian Illusion, an unsettling examination of India’s banking system and the invisible structures of debt, power and privilege that shape people’s lives. Sukhraj participated in a post-screening discussion at the festival. The day continued with Alba Sotorra’s Command er Arian, screened as part of the festival’s Cinema of Kurdish People section, followed by Banjaran Sisters by Tanvi Jadwani.
The festival also saw participation from students of the English Literature department of Xavier University, Bhubaneswar (XUB), and the Mass Communication department of Centurion University, underlining FSB’s continued engagement with student communities and cinema education. Reflecting on the second day, audience member Rumita Kundu said, “The films on day 2 at the festival showcased the forgotten histories of women, marginal communities and stories untold in the last seventy years. FSB has been continuing its efforts to build cinema literacy in the City with its monthly screenings, festivals and regular interactions with the student community.” Orissa POST and Dharitri are the print media partners for the event.
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