Name of the event : Real Life to Reel Life
Key Stakeholders : Study Hall Educational Foundation and UNICEF
Date of the Event : 9^th May 2012
Theme of the Event : Issues Surrounding Girl Child
Event Coordinators: Anand Chitravanshi
Report Written by : Anand Chitravanshi

Brief Description of Event

Study Hall Educational Foundation(SHEF) in collaboration with UNICEF, Uttar Pradesh staged a movie screening showcasing several movies from youth of the city. Local NGO Sanatkada along with Prerna Girls School and Vidyasthali School, Kannar came together to showcase their movies. The theme of the event was established as issues surrounding girl child. Our effort was in the direction to recognise their efforts and showcasing their movies and to build a platform for girls and women from marginalized backgrounds to express their concerns with the far reaching medium of cinema. The screenings were followed by a brief discussion between the movie makers, audience and experts.

One Minute Jr

[Watch]
The first movies to be screened was One Minute Jr, They were a group of 14 movies. Prerna School girls of Class 12were engaged under “All Children, All Rights.” themed program the One Minute Jr put together by UNICEF, Under this program children created very crisp one minute video features on several sensitive issues, issues that not only surround them but girl children all across the globe. The one minute movies are centered around deep rooted issues of our society like female foeticide, gender based discrimination, education of girl child, struggles of girls in urban slums and many other child right issues.

Prerna Diaries

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Prerna School, Girls are engaged in stimulating and enriching critical dialogues in the classrooms, The attempt is to shape them into critically aware persons aware of their rights and entitling them to freedom. During the course of these dialogues there were several documentations and research carried out by the students with help of digital media in shape of interviews, digital stories, cross cultural exchange on social networks and exchange over blogs. Further all their research and experiences were brought together in shape of a participatory documentary named ‘Prerna Diaries’ with help of Mr. Anand Chitravanshi. Prerna Diaries was a 20 minute feature.

First two features at the movie festival were put forward by Class 12 of Prerna Girls School. The girls further put forward a eye watering recital of a self composed poem Pehchaan and a small dance performance by the name Jazzba that translated as spirit of courage.

After the performances Mr. Atul Kumar Communication Officer, UNICEF applauded and encouraged girls with his kind words. Atul Kumar mentioned how he has been in touch with class 12 Prerna girls for almost half a year and expressed on the empowerment that he notices in the girls through this medium.

Sanatkada Features

Sanatkada is a local NGO working with girls from conservative islamic background and giving them voice by exposing them to this new media. Girls have also initiated a blog under this project. The post screening session evolved into a very dynamic discussion between Prerna Girls and Sanatkada girls. Prerna girls were very keen to understand why sanatkada is focused on girls from islamic community. The question was very brilliently addressed my Hamida from Sanatkada, She explained how a segment of muslim population is very conservative because of which very primal rights to freedom for girls are marginalised.

Girls from Sanatkada showcasedCHOO LO ASMAAN Directed by Arshi SiddiqueAAO GUM HO JAYEN Directed by Nasreen Khan SABAA KI KAHAANI Directed by Raesun Nisha PAKEEZAH PHOOL Directed by Arshi Siddiqe

Changing Girls’ Lives

Vidyasthali is a rural school in Kanaar Village, run by Study Hall Educational Foundation based in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Vidyasthali gives rural students a chance at a quality education, a rarity outside of large cities in India.

In Uttar Pradesh (UP), it is common for families to prevent their daughters from attending school. While rural families almost always try to send their sons to school even if money is tight, girls are often considered a burden for their families and educating a woman is seen as a waste of money.

This is especially true in light of the dowry system, which requires the bride’s family to pay an enormous sum to the groom’s family as part of the marriage contract. The girl always moves in with the groom’s family, so her own family may not benefit from her education after she is married. Additionally, there is a perception that educating a girl will make her less desirable to potential suitors. It is common for families to keep their daughters out of school so that they can earn money to help pay for the dowry, or to marry them off before they turn 18 and be “rid of the burden,” even though child marriages are illegal in UP.

Vidyasthali Class 10 wrote and filmed Changing Girls’ Lives over the course of a two day workshop during their spring break. The story is based on their own experiences.

Friendship, Not Religion

[Watch]
Friendship not religion is a movie put together by class 11 of Prerna Girls School. The movie is centred around bias based on religion. This is a issues that some of the girls have to face in their community as they have diverse classroom. This movie was a take on how students deal with social pressures about religion and keep their friendship intact. The movie gelled perfectly with the discussion that Prerna girls had with sanatkada girls about religion bias. It was a perfect end to the screening and brought the event to a closure.

All the movie makers and team members were awarded with a small award, gift and a certificate. All students were given a lunch box at the event and a special lunch was hosted at Prerna Girls School Campus for all the movie makers and special guests.

Event attended by :

Students from Prerna Girls School, Vidyasthali School Kannar and SEWA school; Along with delegates from Sanatkada.

Event was blessed by garious presence of Padam Shri Dr. Raj Bisaria, Eminent theater personality and Ibtesham Anjum Najeeb a documentary filmmaker from Lucknow.

Along with

• Dr. Urvashi Sahni, President, Study Hall Educational Foundation
• Mr Atul Kumar, Communication Specialist, UNICEF, Uttar Pradesh
• Ms Lalita Pradeep, Principal, District Institute for Education and Training, Lucknow
• Ms Madhvi Kukreja, Founder Director Sanatkada
• Dr. Rakesh Chandra, Prof. Philosophy, University of Lucknow
• Ms. Shalini Chandra, Head Mistress, Junior School, Study Hall School
• Ms. Shalini Mathur, Suraksha
• Ms. Surbhi Kapoor, Head Mistress, DOSTI School
• Mr. Kevin Dacosta, Principal, Study Hall School

Press Coverage