Srinagar, June 15: ‘Kashmir’s Torture Trail’, a documentary film that depicts serious cases of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, has bagged the ‘best film of the year’ award by Amnesty International. Filmed, directed and edited by BAFTA award winner Jezza Neumann, the 47-minute documentary keeps track of prominent Kashmiri human rights campaigner Advocate Parvez Imroz who meets torture victims and the families of the 125 people killed in police and paramilitary forces action during the street intifada of 2010. “In the most militarised place on earth, one man is standing up to the armed might of the world’s largest democracy. ‘Kashmir’s Torture Trail’ follows a Kashmiri lawyer as he uncovers India’s best kept secret,” says the introduction of the film produced by True Vision, a UK-based company. “The standard of entries this year was superb and the winners produced some of the best human rights journalism being put out anywhere in the world. Journalism at its best exposes injustice and holds the powerful to account. This year’s winners did this brilliantly—with searing dispatches from places like Syria, Burma, Kashmir and Russia,” Amnesty International’s UK Director Kate Allen said in a statement. “It’s been genuinely inspiring to see human rights journalism of this caliber. Well done to all those who produced the work and gave it their editorial backing. It’s truly valuable work,” she added. The winners were announced Tuesday evening at a ceremony hosted by BBC News presenter Philippa Thomas at the British Film Institute in central London. The coveted awards—covering the period March 2012-February 2013—recognise excellence in human rights reporting and acknowledge journalism’s significant contribution to the public’s awareness and understanding of human rights issues. ‘Kashmir’s Torture Trail’ has been shot across the length and breadth of the Valley for over a year. Besides the testimonials of the victims, the film also contains powerful images of the victims like Feroz Ahmad, who was detained under Public Safety Act (PSA) after he was wounded in clashes. It has also detailed interviews of the family members of Sameer Ahmad Rah of Batamaloo, Wamiq Farooq of Rainawari, and Kalendu Khatana and Ashraf of north Kashmir, both victims of torture. The documentary has also the statement of a girl who was allegedly raped by policemen. Speaking to Kashmir Reader from London, the film director Jezza Neumann said, “Everyone involved in making this film feels it is a great honour to win this award. The credit though has to go to those locally who took the risk to speak out and tell their stories and to Parvez Imroz and his team who have worked tirelessly in bringing these human rights abuses onto an international platform. “It’s fantastic that after dedicating his life to giving a voice to the people of Kashmir, Imroz’s efforts are finally recognized in the West, firstly by Channel 4 commissioning the film and then by this internationally recognized award. So a huge thanks to Parvez and his team who I am sure will have inspired many others across the globe to keep going even when it seems that no one is listening.” Meanwhile, Imroz said the award was acknowledgment of unabated human rights violations taking place in Jammu and Kashmir. This film has highlighted the plight of Kashmiris. I am sure it will stir the conscience of the global civil society.” “Even after so much embarrassment, the response of the government of India has been pathetic. They’re not bothered about the mass graves scattered across the state. They’re not worried about the extrajudicial killings and fake encounters,” Imroz, who played the lead role in the film, told Kashmir Reader Wednesday. Referring to the 354-page report titled “Alleged Perpetrators—Stories of impunity in Jammu and Kashmir”, that listed the names and ranks of 500 Army, paramilitary and police officers allegedly involved in right abuses, Imroz said that instead of looking into the report and taking necessary action, the government was awarding and promoting the accused. “The culture of impunity has not ended. As far as Kashmir issue is concerned, international community has maintained silence over the violations committed by the forces here,” he added.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Jun 2013 03:23:03 +0000
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