29.-30.1.2010
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF MOVIES
WITH ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEMES

SIDE EFFECTS: PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG ARTIST IN LAHORE

Pakistan, 2009, 34 min
Mashood Ahmed Sheikh
29.01.2010 18:10

Side effects: Portrait of a young artist in Lahore

Lahore is the second largest city of Pakistan with a population of more than 10 million. The city is famous for exquisite food, its rich culture, an education capital and the core of Pakistan's media and Arts scene. The film takes us deep into the life of a struggling young lower-middle class, Art student in Lahore.

Language of dialogues: Urdu, Panjabi, English
Language of subtitles: English

DRUGS AND PRAYERS - INDIAN PSYCHIATRY IN THE REALM OF SAINTS

Germany/India, 2009, 57 min
Helene Basu
30.01.2010 18:25

The Sufi shrine of Mira Datar in India is large pilgrimage centre specialising in healing possession madness/mental illness. Recently, it has also become a site of experimenting with new forms of community care in the mental health sector. The NGO „Altruist“ facilitates communication between the mental health department, shrine dignitaries, psychiatrists and patients suffering from diverse kinds of mental troubles who seek help from the saint. Under the heading of „Dava and Dua“  Altruists promotes psychiatric services at the shrine parallel to the cures of possession illnesses offered by ritual specialists. The film documents interactions between different actors at the shrine (patients-psychiatrists, psychiatrists-ritual specialists, patients-ritual specialists), listens to the stories of afflicted persons and presents diverse views on the presumed causes of mental illness as well on the benefit or non-benefit of medicine and/or ritual practices as perceived by patients and their relatives.

Language of dialogues: Hindi and Gujarati
Language of subtitles: English

IF VAGINA HAD A TEETH: THE SHONA RAINMAKING CEREMONY IN WESTERN MOZAMBIQUE

Estonia/Norway, 2009, 57 min
Liivo Niglas, Frode Storaas
29.01.2010 19:55

„Ritual reversals“ or „ritual of rebellion“ are concepts used for mock rituals performend in Southern and Eastern Africa. During fertility rituals, like rain making ceremonies, women in their songs and dances demonstrate obscene behaviour while they behave like men. These are secret performance open strictly  for eldery men and women. Still, we were invited to record the rain making ceremony in the land of Chief Chassuka, Manika Province in Mozambique in order to document the ritual for the younger  generations. These rituals are a fading tradition probably due to the special character of the songs and dances.

Language of dialogues: Shona language, English
Language of subtitles: English