Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA), a Mumbai-based organisation that works to prevent violence against women, has joined with the Sacred Heart College Film Club in Kerala’s Kochi, to put together a two-day film festival titled SamaBhav. The festival, themed on gender, masculinity, sexuality, and diversity, will be held at the Sacred Heart College on the first and second of August, between 10 am and 5.30 pm. It is open to students, young filmmakers, and film enthusiasts among others, and there is no fee for entry.
SamaBhav, a travelling festival that is currently in its fifth year, opened in Mumbai in February this year, and has already covered Bengaluru, Pune, Guwahati, Chennai, Srinagar, and Kohima before coming to Kochi. “There are some interesting films we are showing post-inauguration, including some short PSAs (public service announcements) made by students of TISS, discussing important topics like the MeToo movement, the lack of IC committees in organisations, etc. Such shorts by students have the potential to pave the way for bigger discourse,” says Harish Sadani, the co-founder and executive director of MAVA, where he works with young men and boys to address and prevent violence against women.
The festival will also have discussions in the presence of prominent personalities working in Kerala's social sphere. Asha Achy Joseph, founding member of the Women in Cinema Collective, filmmaker Jeo Baby, and transgender rights activist Sheethal Shyam are among the guests at the festival.
Harish mentions a few of the films which have been included in the fest. “There is a film called We Need to Talk by the dating app Tinder, which is a lovely film on consent. Consent is a complicated subject to address, and they have done it very inclusively by featuring heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual individuals, among others. They also look into how dynamics change between people when consent is taken for granted, how they attempt to resolve the situation, and more,” he adds.
In Malayalam, they have included a film called Ruchibhedam. It is a short film about being accepting and respectful of the fact that people can have different tastes.
Harish says, “We are very keen that male communicators be included in this discussion — especially cisgender heterosexual men since queer men are already a part of the conversation. Men with privileges and power should also be made aware of the discourse we have surrounding gender and sexuality. Usually, they are not in any conversation whenever we talk about gender. So we need to consider this strategically as to how we can include them in the dialogue.”
You can register for the film festival here.