Illustrated lecture by Dr. Pravina Cooper, Lecturer, Comparative World Literature, California State University, Long Beach

Chair: Chair: Ms Aruna Vasudev
 
Shakespeare continues to be the most prolific and translatable screen writer of modern cinema. Dr. Cooper will examine the ideological implications of Vishal Bhardwaj’s Haider, Omkara and Maqbool; how and to what ends does Bhardwaj’s work align with the central moral dilemmas at the heart of Shakespeare’s Renaissance texts and to what extent does his work re-write them?

Clean and Green – Fuelling India’s Alternative Energy (52 min; dvd; English)
A film by Ajay Bedi & Vijay Bedi
 
Film courtesy: PSBT and Bedi Brothers Production
 
The film takes a critical look at why green energy solutions have not occupied mainstream policy and how to popularise these methods for economic scale. Travelling through the villages of Rajasthan to Bihar and the millennium city of Gurgaon, the film demonstrates how the sun, the wind, and all the natural elements can be harnessed to generate energy
 

Dr. Kalpana Dasgupta, former Director, Central Secretariat Library and former Chairperson, Working Group on Libraries National Knowledge Commission; Dr. Gayas Makhdumi, University Librarian, Jamia Millia Islamia; and        Dr. Usha Munshi , Librarian, IIPA will discuss Librarianship in Indian National Perspective by Subhash C. Biswas (Delhi: Gyan Publishing, 2015)

Jabbed – Love, Fear and Vaccines (90 min; 2013; dvd; English)
Director:  Sonya Pemberton, Genepool Productions/ SBS TV
 
As vaccination rates fall and preventable diseases re-emerge, Jabbed reminds us of what’s at stake. Traversing the globe, the film-makers examine the science behind vaccinations and the real cost of opting out. Stylishly crafted, thought provoking and often confronting, Jabbed is a powerful contribution to the often heated vaccine discussion
 
At 12:00
Sons and Mothers (80 min; 2014; dvd; English)
Director: Christopher Houghton, Pop Pictures/ABC TV
 
Sons and Mothers uses creative techniques to focus on the abilities, rather than disabilities, of its subjects. An intimate portrait of a group of men who meet once a week as part of the Men’s Ensemble theatre troupe
 
At 14:00
First Footprints – Episodes 1 & 2 (56 min per episode; 2013; English)
Directors: Martin Butler and Bentley Dean, Contact Films, ABC TV
 
Winner of the 2013 Walkley Documentary Award 
 
Martin Butler will introduce the screening
 
First Footprints is a televisual archaeological ‘dig’ which comprehensively explores the history of Aboriginal tribal structures and land management techniques which prevailed for 50,000 years on the island continent which became known as Australia
 
This four part documentary series explores the story of how people arrived and thrived on our continent. With startling new archaeological discoveries revealing how the first Australians adapted, migrated, fought and created in dramatically changing environments.
 
Episode 1 - Super Nomads: 50,000 To 30,000 Years Ago
The story of how people arrived and thrived in Australia. With startling new archaeological discoveries revealing how the first Australians adapted, migrated, fought and created in dramatically changing environments
 
At 15:10
Episode 2 - The Great Drought: 30,000 To 15,000 Years Ago
For thousands of years people lived with Australia's strange and ferocious mega fauna but all beasts went extinct during the last ice age. Temperatures were 6 degrees colder; it was dry and windy and lasted over 10,000 years
 
At 16:10
Discussion
Speakers: Pat Fiske and Martin Butler, Australian filmmakers; Liz Jackson, senior Australian journalist; Safina Uberoi, Indian-Australian filmmaker based in Australia; and others
 
At 18:30
The Sunnyboy (90 min; 2013; English)
Director: Kaye Harrison, Treehouse Productions, JOTZ Productions
 
Winner of The MHS Broadcast Media Award 2014
 
The Sunnyboy follows 50 year-old Jeremy Oxley, frontman of the much-lauded 80’s band the Sunnyboys, as he emerges from a 30-year battle with schizophrenia. Told largely from his own perspective the filmmakers capture Jeremy’s struggle to unpick his past and his slowly growing confidence as he dares to contemplate a return to the stage

Love Marriage in Kabul (84 min; 2014; dvd; English)
Directors: Pat Fiske and Amin Palangi, Bower Bird Films
 
Winner of the Foxtel Audience Award for Best Documentary, Sydney Film Festival 2014; and Best Documentary Award, Canberra International Film Festival 2014
 
Pat Fiske will introduce the film and screening will be followed by a discussion
 
Mahboba Rawi is a strong-willed Afghan-Australian woman who has dedicated her life to help orphans in Afghanistan. Abdul, one of these orphans, is in love with Fatemeh, the girl next door. The two hope to marry each other one day. But Fatemeh’s father has other plans
 
At 19:45
Scarlet Road (106 min; 2011; dvd; English)
Directors: Catherine Scott & Pat Fiske
 
Scarlet Road follows the extraordinary work of Australian sex worker, Rachel Wotton. Impassioned about freedom of sexual expression and the rights of sex workers, she specialises in a long over-looked clientele – people with disability

A festival of eight exceptional documentary films from Australia organised in collaboration with The Walkley Foundation. Two of the filmmakers will be present to personally present their films. The festival includes a discussion
 
At 18:30
Introduction
Ms. Liz Jackson, senior journalist and former Member, The Walkley Foundation
 
Mary Meets Mohammad (80 min; 2013; dvd; English)
Directors: Heather Kirkpatrick and Kristy Dowsing
 
Multiple award winner including 2014 Special Award United Nations Media Peace Prize; 2014 MIA Award for Outstanding Coverage of Migration in the Media; 2014 Tasmania Media Award for Best Feature, Doc. Current Affairs; Winner 2013 Tasmania Outstanding Achiever Award
 
A timely and relevant story told with great sensitivity and subtlety, the film follows the arrival of Tasmania’s first detention centre through the eyes of local Christian woman and knitting club member Mary and Muslim Afghan Hazara, asylum seeker Mohammad, who is detained inside the centre
 
At 20:00
Code of Silence (56 min; 2014; dvd; English)
Directors:  Dan Goldberg and Danny Ben Moshe, Mint Pictures & Identity Films/ABC TV
 
Winner of the 2014 Walkley Documentary Award
 
Code of Silence is the story of a fight for an investigation into allegations of child sex abuse at an Orthodox Jewish boys’ school in Melbourne. As the case against the abusers continues to make news, the documentary is timely and ground-breaking

Speaker: Poonam Surie, author of the recently published book, China: Confucius in the Shadows; Adjunct Fellow, Institute of Chinese Studies and Visiting Faculty, Indian Council for World Affairs. Her earlier book, China: A Search for its Soul was published in 2009
 
Discussant: Shri Ravi Bhoothalingam, Honorary Fellow, Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi
 
Chair: Dr. C. Raja Mohan, Head-Strategic Studies & Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, Delhi 

By Eshani Agarwal from Lucknow, disciple of Shri Surendra Saikia

Drugs, Human Trafficking, and Migration
Speakers:  Ms Cristina Albertine, United Nation’s Office on Drugs and Crime; and Ms Tinku Khanna, ApneAap Women Worldwide and Dr. Atul Ambekar
 
Moderator: Dr. S. K. Khandelwal
 
Drugs abuse has become a global problem, and in many places it has assumed an epidemic proportion. Demand and supply chain of illicit drugs has multiple complex issues threatening fabric of the society. It has direct links with problems like human trafficking.  Drugs and human trafficking threaten the human security and development of any country. It has a health angle as most of the people trafficked are vulnerable to violence, sex crimes, and HIV/AIDS. It is a human rights issue as well, since trafficked people are often exploited for forced sex, cheap labour, and drug trade. Organized illegal migration often sees many young people into the prisons, where living conditions are deplorable. Such young illegal migrants frequently have mental health issues, and become victims to drug abuse, and ultimately to HIV/AIDS 

Presented by The Fidelio Trio – Darragh Morgan (violin); Adi Tal (cello); and Mary Dullea (piano)
With Patricia Rozario, soprano
 
The artists will present works by Shostakovich, Jonathan Dove (with verse by Vikram Seth), Haydn and Saint-Saens