Mohalla Filmistan
Mohalla Filmistanis an initiative of the Sanatkada Film Studio that covers eight neighbourhoods or “bastis” in old Lucknow. Meetings are held once every month, for aduration of 4-5 hours, and target a total of 20-40 women. The agenda of these meetings includes presentation of films produced by the Sanatkada Film Unit focusing on women centred topics like gender identity, self-identity, mobility, religious perspectives, women’s rights, challenges of accessing government schemes, and Muslim Personal Law (Sharia).
These documentary films are shot by the Unit itself. Issue-based films on politics, religion, women’s rights, etc. from Bollywood are also screened. In addition, information is provided to women on a host of topics relating to their health, education, employment, and other relevant topics. The objective of MohallaFilmistan is to provide a safe and non-judgmental space for women to convene, exchange ideas and information, and engage in dialogue and discussion about their lives. The films have also been shown at Colleges like Karamat College, KhunKhunji, Lucknow University and other spaces like Nehru Yuva Kendra, Sanatkada, Fasle Film Festival.
