Films chronicling Indian farmers’ protests, CAA to feature at Hot Docs festival

The 31st edition of North America’s largest documentary film festival begins in Toronto, Canada on Thursday and continues through May 5

Toronto: A pair of projects chronicling protests against legislation brought in by the Government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India are among the Indian productions that will be featured at North America’s largest documentary film festival Hot Docs this year.

A still from the documentary Farming The Revolution, which will have its world premiere at Hot Docs this month. (Credit: Courtesy Hot Docs)

The 31st edition of the festival begins in Toronto on Thursday and continues through May 5.

Among the world premieres this year will be Farming The Revolution, a documentary that follows the farmers’ protests that opposed three farm laws enacted by the Indian government. Director by Nishtha Jain, and co-directed by Akash Basumatari, the feature documentary tracks the protests from their beginning in late 2020 onto developments a year later as the government repealed the legislation.

“The scale of these protests echoed the spirit of India’s independence movement, culminating in an unexpected, triumphant outcome,” Hot Docs noted of the film.

Another protest, that did not culminate with such success, was that against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Produced and directed by Nausheen Khan, it centres around the protests at Shaheen Bagh. As Hot Docs stated the film “explores the shared human experiences of exclusion, polarisation and repression, while showcasing the strength and resilience of the women of Shaheen Bagh. Their story provides a powerful precedent for a new form of public dissent in modern India”.

Other films from India will also be showcased at the festival including Marching In The Dark, which addresses farmer suicides through the experience of a widow Sanjeevani. Directed by Kinshuk Suraj, the film “offers a compelling portrayal of personal growth, empowerment and the strength found in collective support”, Hot Docs said.

Meanwhile, director Sama Pana’s Drawing A Line has at its centre the work of cartoonist Rachita Taneja and her use of stick figures “in fighting against censorship with bravery and creativity”.

Among the highest profile films at Hot Docs this year will be Canadian director Barry Avrich’s Born Hungry, which tracks the journey of celebrity chef Sash Simpson, from his “humble beginnings on the streets of Chennai as a seven-year-old street kid hustling for survival”, Hot Docs noted.